Primary Opponent Criticizes Warren over Native American Flap

Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren was criticized by a fellow Democrat over her inability to explain the recent controversy over Warren's disputed Native American heritage.

Marisa DeFranco, who is challenging Warren in the Democratic primary for Senate, told MassLive.com that she has a problem with the Warren campaign's "lack of ability to have a clear and consistent message about this issue. They didn’t get in front of it when it first broke. They had several different responses." MassLive.com has more:

DeFranco said she believes the fact that the controversy over Warren’s heritage has lasted for three works shows a problem with Warren’s campaign. “We need a Democratic nominee who’s able to define herself first and foremost before the Republican GOP machine comes after you and defines the candidate for her,” DeFranco said. “I will not let Scott Brown define me.”

DeFranco said she was not taking a position on Warren’s listing of her heritage as Native American, or on what the Warren campaign’s response should have been.