President Barack Obama says the political landscape for this midterm election tilts against Senate Democrats. He compares the states Democrats are defending to the 1958 Republican losses during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower.

One third of Senate seats are up for election this year and Obama says many states with contested races tilt to the Republican Party.

In the 1958 election, Eisenhower’s second midterm, the Republican Party lost 13 Senate seats to the Democrats and Democrats also gained two seats from the newly admitted state of Alaska.

Obama’s assessment came on the same day Vice President Joe Biden predicted Democrats would lose seats but retain control of the Senate.

Of 10 contests considered toss-ups, seven are in states that Obama lost in 2012.

(AP)