Elections. At stake today, control of the senate. Republicans have their best chance of winning back the majority since they lost it in 2006. Democrats hold a majority and could lose control of the chamber if they drop six seats. The other big story for today, a true test of the tea party. Mainstream gop fighting back and launching a strong counteroffensive. Our Political Team is covering all the angles. Lets start with dana bash covering todays headline mashup in kentucky, its an exciting one, dana. Reporter right, because Mitch Mcconnell, Senate Republican leader, is fighting a twofront war. Today is primary day, as you said. He is expected to beat out and best his republican challenger, the one from the right, and his focus has already been on the real challenge he thinks he has, which is november. His democratic opponent. And the way he is describing it and laying it out for voters here is very interesting, because its along the lines of what you just laid out. The whole battle for control of the senate, and the big picture. Being really blunt about it saying he believes the best way for kentuckians to have good representation here is to make him majority leader. And the worst thing for them is to have somebody instead of him with no experience and with no clout. I put that to him when i caught up with him yesterday. Your likely democratic opponent says youre exactly whats wrong with washington. The personification of gridlock. Well get into the debate and the general election tomorrow, but what kentuckians have to decide is which direction they want the country to take. You know . Do we want to go in a different direction, or do we want harry reid to continue to be the majority leader . Do we want to vote for barack obama in a state he carried four out of 120 counties . Thats whats really at stake in the fall election. Reporter now, we talked about the fact that the president is unpopular here. Thats definitely true, and thats what he is banking on, linking the democrat Allison Grimes with the problem that he has, that hes unpopular, too, and very well known. Hes served here for 30 years. Thats what hes up against, and that is certainly what Alison Grimes, the democrat, and even the republican matt bevin, theyre both trying to hit Mitch Mcconnell. So Mitch Mcconnell will likely win the republican primary and probably go up against Alison Grimes, whos the democrat. The first female to run a senator from kentucky. Running virtually unopposed. What is she saying . Reporter trying to lay out the contrast in a way thats very clear when you look and listen to them, but trying to hit it home. The idea that shes 35 years old, shes never been to washington and is running against a 17yearold excuse me, a 72yearold man who has had three decades in the senate. Listen to the way that she tried to stir up the crowd in her headquarters last night. Im hoping that you will spread the word all across not just Jefferson County but the commonwealth of kentucky that this woman, while shes not an empty dress, shes not a cheerleader, shes not a rubber stamp, shes an independent kentucky woman that stands on her own two feet wow. Reporter shes leaning big time into the idea of appealing to women, not just because of her gender but because she says that Mitch Mcconnell has been wrong for female voters here in kentucky on voting issues like pay equality, and votes like that in the senate and the other interesting dynamic on the trail here, carol is that Mitch Mcconnell has had at his side pretty much at all times his wife elaine chao, who is pretty established in her own right. A bush cabinet secretary. Strong fwhwoman in her own right. Dana bash. Further south, five candidates vying to fill a seat vacated by retiring senator saxby chand liss. Wh they may be on the losing end, interesting, because georgia anchored the Tea Party Movement the past five years. Peter hanby joins me now. This race called a free for all and one of the leading nontea Party Candidates actually gained traction with uniting the Republican Party. That resonated with Republican Voters here . Yeah. The message youre hearing from the front running candidates in georgia is that they are conservative but they can win. You mentioned the tea Party Candidates in that race. Paul brown, phil, two very conservative congressmen that if you talk to republican thes, republicans in washington, gosh, six months ago, they were terrified one of these guys could slip into a runoff and become the republican nominee against the likely democratic nominee Michelle Nunn and alienate women voters to social conservative stands, but it hasnt shaped up that way. Look, the establishment isnt really super thrilled with the three candidates who are in the lead right now. David perdue, a pewealthy selffunding businessman, carol handel, former secretary, and another congressman. They emerged in the front with the race that were looking at today, the race for second place. Perdue has spent a lot of money, widely expected to finish first. A jumpball between second. I am fascinated by karen handel. If she makes a run, backed by sarah palin, ericson, the blogger, she a conservative but also a woman. If she emerging as the republican nominee against nunn, a fascinating dynamic to watch as we talk about the sort of democratic attacks on the women, karen handel says shell nu neutralize that because shes a woman. A candidate tough to beat in the fall. As dana reported, tough for any democrat in the obama era to win in the south, carol. Speaking about the primary, the established republican now in the lead and waiting to see the results with karen handel, the Tea Party Candidate, and backed by sarah palin. Many thanks to you, peter. Keep talking about the losses the tea party will suffer. That could be the sign of the death of the tea party. Two words for you n. That would be rand paul. Tea Party Darling tied with jeb bush for the leading candidate for president. Talk about that. Commentator and columnist for the blaze, and a political strategist. So what the tea party may do poorly electorally in the primaries today, but its influence has certainly moved the candidates to the right. Is that win enough for the tea party . Yeah. I think it will answer that question, carol. You have to also understand we also have to define what is the tea party . As you noted, by the way, the media in general likes to impose overarching beams on primary day. Election days like this in a popular theme within the media circle is the death of the tea party. But what is the tea party . In 2010 i was very passionate and excited about the tea party, because it was an accountability mechanism. A reminder. You stand for principles, politicians, put we move on. It had hiccup, the tea heart has and turned it into four great politics. Establishment, reaction, establishment versus tea party. Im not sure thats what it was and i would offer to your point, carol, these pieces of evidence. Tom tillis in North Carolina supposedly the establishment candidate. Cant get much more conservative. In arkansas, tom, the republican candidate, establishment. Cant get much more conservative than him. So the reminder is still there. The accountability mechanism is still there. You stand for principles. If thats not good enough or convicts you, wait until 2016. Rand paul in the horse race. Let me present an example. Id like to focus on kentucky a minute and Mitch Mcconnells primary run against the Tea Party Candidate matt bevin. Mcconnell is the minority leader and frankly talks like a tea party guy, even though hes establishment. Listen. What hes really saying here is, you dont want a debate at all. A president ial appointment. Sit down, shut up and rubber stamp everything, everyone the president sends up here. Talking about harry reid there. Still, mcconnell is about establishment republican and certainly took no chances. Spent at least 35 million to beat the Tea Party Candidate bevin, who also spent millions of dollars, and if you add it up, the total output for a seat in kentucky is 100 million. That would be a record. So, maria, what does that tell you about the tea party in general and Establishment Republicans . I think it tells you, carol, that the tea party is actually very much alive and doing very well, because what have they done . Theyve actually coopted the establishment. This is not longer your fathers gop establishment. They dont really exist. What has happened and weve seen if in races across the country is that we, quote unquote, establishment candidates have gone so far to the right, theyve coopted all of the positions and the principles of the tea Party Candidates. So while, you know, quote unquote, establishment candidates might be winning theyre going to come to washington with the same right wing extreme positions that democrats are going to frankly use in the fall in november to make the contrast that has worked very well for the party in terms of these candidates being out of the mainstream. Not being in conjunction with representing the interests of middleclass americans. I think that is going to be a winning argument both for Alison Grimes in kentucky and Michelle Nunn in georgia. Okay. And, will, i wanted to put this by you, in light of what maria is saying. Senator mcconnell will probably tomorrow. Hes already campaigning against the democratic candidate Alison Grimes. Shes backed by the clintons. Could she turn Kentucky Blue . Well, look, i think Mitch Mcconnell, i dont know that hes the perfect example of the establishment moving to embrace the principles of the tea party. While maria and i might agree that is whats happened nationwide, we clearly disagree whether or not thats a good or help or hurt republicans come november. Mcconnell constantly underestimated. Underestimated by matt bevin, within the chambers of the senate. He works behind the scene, owns the Republican Party of kentucky. He has i. O. U. S across the state because he helped build that Republican Party. When it comes to november, better not underestimate him either. Thats certainly thats certainly something shes not going to do. I think wills right. No underestimating with mcconnell. The fact of the matter, today, Mitch Mcconnell is less popular in his own state than president obama, and hes less popular than obamacare. For gods sake, that is a very good starting position for Alison Grimes to go into. Well see what happens. I mentioned rand paul at the top. She a tea Party Darling and currently right now the favorite among the gop to run for president and win. Right. So the tea party right there. You think the tea partys dead . Wait until 2016. I agree with that. Thank you both. Still to come in the newsroom, new details about a close call between two jets that almost collided over the runway. Cnns rene marsh following that story for us. Good morning. Reporter good morning, carol. These two passenger planes with passengers onboard come within yards of each other on the other side of the break well tell you what happens next. [ dog barks ] [ male announcer ] imagine the cars we drive. Being able to see so clearly. To respond so intelligently and so quickly, they can help protect us from a world of unseen danger. Its the stuff of science fiction. Minus the fiction. And it is mercedesbenz. Today. 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Blood, liver and nervous system problems, serious allergic reactions, and new or worsening Heart Failure have occurred. Before starting humira, your doctor should test you for tb. Ask your doctor if you live in or have been to a region where certain fungal infections are common. Tell your doctor if you have had tb, hepatitis b, are prone to infections, or have symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, or sores. You should not start humira if you have any kind of infection. Take the next step. Talk to your doctor. This is humira at work. Thats odd. vo celebrate this memorial day with up to 40 off hotels at travelocity. Plus, Enter Promo Code memorial50 for an additional 50 off. gnome go and smell the roses. Top stories at 16 minutes past. Keeping an eye on libya, ready to evacuate u. S. Members from tripoli as fierce fighting spreads. Marines arrived overnight just to the north of a naval base in italy. The osprey planes can be in the air on six hours notice. Swiss Bank Credit Suisse pleaded guilty to federal charges it illegally allowed u. S. Complaints to evade taxes. According to the Justice Department the bank operated an illegal crossborder banking business for decades helping thousands of clients conceal their income from the irs. Credit suisse will pay a total of 2. 6 billion to the federal government and new York Financial regulators as part of that settlement. Another bizarre twist in the Oscar Pistorius murder trial. The judge has delayed the trial until june 30th while the former olympian undergoes a monthlong mental examination. Pistorius will be treated on outpatient basis. Can go home each day and has weekends free. Just yards separated two planes from colliding over Newark Airport last month. The ntsb just released new details about this near miss between a boeing 737 and a smaller express jet. One plane was trying to land. The other was taking off. Cnns rene marsh is tracking it all. Scary stuff. Reporter absolutely, carol. I can tell you at the closest point the two passenger planes about a half football field apart laterally and 135 yards apart vertically, and now the ntsb and the faa are investigating whos to blame for this near collision . Close calls come down to either pilot or controller error. Yeah, he was real close, sir. Reporter audio revealing tense moments between the pilot and air Traffic Controllers when two commercial airliners nearly collide midair over Newark Airport last month. Traffic to your right. The controllers directing a United Airlines boeing 737 to land just seconds before a smaller express jet was cleared tore takeoff on an intersecting runway. The larger jet nearly on top of the plane when controllers tell it to circle the airport. Yeah, yeah. Put the nose down. Hes real close. Reporter at its closest point, the aircraft, only 50 yards away from each other. Only about half a football field. That express jet should have been held in essentially the ready to go position until the 737cleared that crossrunway and made a safe landing and then taken off. The clearance for the express jet to take off never should have been given. Reporter this is the second time in recent weeks United Airlines has been involved in a nearly catastrophic collision. In april, a boeing 757 flying over the pacific nearly collided with another aircraft, after climbing to the altitude controllers assigned them. The aircraft forced to plunge 600 feet in seconds. Im looking down the aisle, and theres, you know, hundreds of people in front of me. People start screaming. Theres noises of things that werent secured falling around. Reporter where the error lies in these most recent air disasters, still under investigation. Well, there was no damage reported to either aircraft, and this all ended without any injuries, carol. How often do things like this happen . Reporter well, you know, i spoke with the faa about this, and as far as their statistics go, this is a pretty rare event. Especially when you consider how many planes actually take off every single day and land every single day. There arent that many of these. That being said, i mean, when Something Like this happens, they take it very seriously. Thats why you see the ntsb and the faa both investigating, because you just cant have the situation where you have passengers onboard and you have these planes coming so dangerously close together. Especially with such congested sayre space. Carol . Yeah. I would say once too many, too. Rene marsh, thanks. China firing back hard against the United States for filing hacking charges against five of its military officers. Cnns alison kosik following the latest developments for us. Good morning. Reporter good morning, carol. The alleged hackers are leaving at least six u. S. Companies at risk. The big question, what could the chinese potentially do with that information . Details coming up. [ male