Lowden defends chickens for medicine stance

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A Nevada Republican whose Senate bid sunk after she suggested patients trade chickens for medical treatment says she's surprised her campaign didn't land her in Washington.

Sue Lowden was considered a contender to oust Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid before she finished behind Sharron Angle in the Republican primary in June.

Lowden says every poll she read showed she would beat Reid in the general election. She says she will never understand why her support of the bartering system used during her grandparents' generation became national news.

Lowden's campaign defended her comments during the primary race, dubbed "chickens for checkups," calling the exchange of goods for medical treatment a valid option.