different version. >> that's jon kyl, male republican. lisa murkowsky, let's hitsen here. >> our statistics as they relate to domestic violence and sexual assault are horrific. they're as ugly as they come. overall, nearly 6 in 10 alaskan women have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. >> now, is she trying to send a message to her own party there? is she in a tough spot herself? >> reporter: again all the above. she is -- i think at the end of the day it is going to be very difficult for republicans to be in a position where it looks like they're against violence against women, but it also is going to be difficult for democrats to keep beating this druchlt there's a sub plot going on with lisa murkowsky. the last issue dealing with women was contraception. she voted with her fellow republicans against allowing free contraception for women. and then she later said she regretted that. in fact she told me in an interview on something else yesterday that she believes that her party is in the wrong place when it comes to women. so she was aligning herself there with w

of the issues. >> you have republican lisa murkowski joining the democratic women. listen to what she said. >> unfortunately in as beautiful a state as i live in, our statistics as they relate to domestic violence and sexual assault are horrific. they're as ugly as they come. nearly one in two alaska women have experienced partner violence. nearly one in three have experienced sexual violence. overall, nearly six in ten alaskan women have been victims of sexual assault or domestic violence. >> now, those statistics, they went over last time. the issue with immigrants, gay couples here, what are the odds this thing will fail because of those sort of addendums here? >> you know, this is just the beginning of the fight. the truth is that this doesn't need to be extended. i believe till the end of the fiscal year. obviously, this is the beginning of the politics. we're very deep into politics here. a subplot of what we just heard from lisa murkowski who is a republican is that on this issue of women and politics, remember the whole issue of contraception and allowing women to have precont

maybe bad? >> i'm not going to comment on lisa murkowski's comments. she can say whatever she wants. my point is that the democrats, if they claim that we have a war on one group or the next doesn't make it so. that's my point. my point is that this is about obama care, which republicans and democrats have rejected. and it will be on the ballot in november. and the war on women is a war that this president has perpetrated in regard to the economy, jobs, getting people back to work, getting gas prices to a place that we can afford them. that's a war on women. i mean, maybe we should ask anita dunn whether or not there's a war on women in the white house. i mean, this is just silliness. it's a distraction. it's small ball. this is about liberty, freedom, and getting the american economy back on track. and this president's failed at every level. and that's what this election is going to be about, not based on lies coming from the democratic party. >> this debate will continue as will many others, mr. chairman. appreciate your time tonight. >> thank you. >>> the obama campaign has a new

saying about the policies towards women themselves. is look at what senator lisa murkowski said in her state. if republicans don't position that our policies are an attack on women, they need it on go home and talk to their wives and daughters. because the policies that have come out of the republican partying saying we should have to have a debate again over contraception and whether we should have access to it and whether it should be affordable, saying that like governor scott walker in wisconsin, you know, he tried to quietly repeal the equal pay act. women aren't going to stand for that. governor walker just signed a bill that repeals the equal pay law that they had in wisconsin for years. you have republicans that have engaged themselves on trying to redefine rape as only being forceful brain oig. depunding planned parenthood. the lilly led better act that put teeth behind the notion that women deserve equal pay for equal work. that was the first bill president obama signed in to law.overwhelming majority of republicans voted against it. so the focus of the republican party on tu

people and free enterprises. [ cheers and applause ] >> now when you ran against lisa murkowski in alaska you were criticizing her, too much time in washington, all the habits of washington. governor romney there was trying to say speaker gingrich, senator santorum you're going to get more washington. i'm not sure what a severe conservative is. but how did that go? >> i don't think it went over well. if we're looking for a severely conservative governor and we look at that record, it's obviously not what conservatives are looking for. frankly in 2012 in november in order to win that race it's going to require that core base. that core base of conservatives that already are reflecting a lack of enthusiasm. i think it's in part because of what they aren't hearing, particularly from governor romney. and that is that look, this country is in severe financial crisis. we've got to get the fiscal house in order. we've got to get d.c. out of these areas it shouldn't be in, get back to the constitution. with that in that core base people are going to stay home and we aren't going to win the

larger percentages and numbers. so this is lisa murkowski who is a republican from alaska voicing a concern among republican women that either the democrats have been very good at spinning their message, or republicans have been very good as they have approached some of these issues about contraception and about women's health care. >> i think she was responding to a lot of the media coverage, which i think was quite overblown, to be honest with you. >> sure, but it's out there p. >> well, but candy, if you look at the cbs/"new york times" poll. we teach students in our courses that it's a sin, according to our faith, to, you know, to have abortion-inducing pills or sterilization procedures and to say that the university must pay for i think most people say no, they shouldn't be compelled to do that. it's not a ban on contraception. not that contraception should be denied to people at all, but should you require a catholic institution to violate the te t tenets of their faith. >> but in the political realm, it would seem to me that at the moment, the democrats have sort of seized th

women's issues. lisa murkowsky voted against free contraception then regretted it. >> did any of your female colleagues come to you and say lisa, come on. don't go with your party on this. >> i wish that we had had that discussion. i think that my party is in an unfortunate place right now, as viewed by many, many women in this country who are feeling very anxious about what they believe to be attacks on women's health. >> reporter: in a bitterly partisan area, senate women cherish their bipartisan sisterhood. >> when i cracked my ankle two years ago the first person on the phone to talk with me was senator murkowski. >> reporter: she learned get to know each other personally, work better professionally. >> i won't always be here. but i hope the legacy of civility that i've worked with the other women to create will remain. >> reporter: dana bash, cnn, capitol hill. >> thank you so much for joining us. i'm