The Republican Senate majority depends on the reelection of Sen. Pat Roberts, and "the entire nation is counting on Kansas to get it right," Roberts said Wednesday in a debate versus independent challenger Greg Orman, who Roberts referred to as a "Liberal-in-disguise."
"The eyes of the nation are on Kansas," Roberts said, reported the Washington Post. "The rest of the country is counting on us to get it right this election. It will be up to us, to Kansas, to determine who will be in the majority."
Roberts blamed gridlock in Washington on Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and the lack of a Republican majority.
Along with accusing Orman of holding flimsy positions on issues, Roberts repeatedly cited Orman's financial support for Democrats Reid, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, claiming Orman is actually a Democrat.
"Trying to get Greg Orman's position on an issue - any issue - is like trying to nail Jell-o to the wall," said Roberts.
But Orman refuted these accusations, saying he has donated to both Democrats and Republicans, like former Sen. Scott Brown in 2010, when he hoped Brown would stop the Affordable Care Act from passing through Congress.
Orman charged back, "I believe Obama and [Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid are part of the problem, but senator, I believe you are part of the problem too."
Orman added that he would not vote for either majority leader McConnell or Reid, and he recently ran a TV ad highlighting the ineffectiveness of both, according to the Washington Post.
"They've both been far too partisan for far too long," Orman said.
A recent NBC/Marist poll shows the three-term senator trailing Orman by 10 percent, and a new Survey USA/KSN-TV poll shows Roberts trailing Orman by five percentage points. The latest CBS News poll has the two candidates tied in what is sure to be an interesting, Democrat-free race.
