DSCC Chairwoman Murray: Ted Cruz is Mitch McConnell's problem

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-Wash.) all but ceded Texas's Senate seat on Wednesday, saying that new nominee Ted Cruz (R) was Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) problem, not hers.

"We're monitoring Texas as we are all our states," she said when asked about the general election. "I think the bigger issue there is that Mitch McConnell is now going to have a potentially much more Tea Party-oriented caucus and we have all seen the damage that has done to our ability to govern, to find compromise, to move this country forward in a positive direction, so it's more of their problem than ours."

Murray maintained her confidence that the party would retain control of the Senate. She said that while Republican outside groups had spent $55 million so far, outspending Democrats by a 3-to-1 margin to date, the DSCC would help even the playing field going forward. She pointed to the group's $7 million money edge over the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the cash advantage most of their candidates had over their opponents.

"The right-wing groups have had a real monopoly on the television airwaves but that is going to change now," she said.

The DSCC chairwoman attacked Republicans for backing Rep. Paul Ryan's (R-Wis.) plan to partially privatize Medicare, and promised wins in nearly every state the party is competitive in, though she did admit Nebraska was a tough battle.

When asked how likely she thought it was that the Senate would remain in Democratic hands, she joked about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) statement that there were 50-50 odds his party would keep control.

"In terms of odds I am not from Nevada so I don't do odds," she said.

---