KTVN in Reno filed this report on U.S. Senate hopeful Sue Lowden's sudden national fame as the "Chicken Lady from Nevada", the woman who wants to barter chickens for health care.

You'd think someone running for Senate (actually the Republican primary first, where she's seen as the front-runner) would be somewhat equipped to deal with these questions. Judging by this clip though and other recent actions, or inactions, you'd be wrong.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sue Lowden is being turned into a national punchline lately.

Brandon Rittiman takes a look at the history of statements made by Lowden that led to what some call "Chickengate."

There's even a website now with a chicken converter.

Lowdenplan.com figures you should pay a 1,000 chickens to get your appendix removed or 6,500 chickens for a hip replacement.

Lowden's campaign is basically acting as if this doesn't matter.

We're barely more than a month away from the primary.

And she hopes Republican voters don't start thinking about chickens when they see her name on the ballot.

Lowden was a single term state senator in the mid 1990's (1992-1996), and later the Chairwoman of the Nevada Republican Party. Apparently she's either very rusty with this whole politics thing or she was just never very good at it.

RITTIMAN: We caught up with Sue Lowden, and asked what she thought about all the buzz.

LOWDEN: I, I, I'm not sure, uh, what to say, as far if it's been dragged out of proportion.

RITTIMAN: One political scientist told me that this is where Lowden gets into trouble. She's not clearing this up. And while the whole affair seems ridiculous to some, if a candidate can't handle a gaffe about chickens, you might not expect much support at the ballot box.

RITTIMAN (TO LOWDEN): You don't regret your statement?

LOWDEN: I, I, I talk about that, that the Reid campaign is desperate to change the subject from his very unpopular health care bill.