What's keeping Todd Akin in Senate race?
| KANSAS CITY, Mo.
A deadline for dropping out of Missouri鈥檚 U.S. Senate race passed Tuesday with Republican Todd聽Akin聽still in the hunt, despite more withering attacks from his own party.
鈥淟et me just make it clear: We鈥檙e not getting out of this race,鈥澛燗kin聽said on a conservative St. Louis radio show. 鈥淚鈥檓 in this for the long haul, and we鈥檙e going to win it.鈥�
The unprecedented onslaught spurred by his weekend comments about rape victims came from the highest reaches of the Republican Party and raised new doubts about whether聽Akin鈥檚聽campaign could recover.
Even GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney called for聽Akin聽to withdraw. So did U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, Missouri鈥檚 highest elected Republican, and four former senators from Missouri: John Ashcroft, Jack Danforth, Kit Bond and Jim Talent.
Major GOP fundraisers, including Crossroads GPS, pledged again to abandon聽Akin鈥檚聽campaign. So did the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. And top party officials asked聽Akin聽not to attend next week鈥檚 Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla.
But through it all,聽Akin聽held firm, blaming his fall from party grace on 鈥渙ne word in one sentence on one day.鈥� That, he said, was a reference to his use of the word 鈥渓egitimate鈥� in response to a TV interviewer鈥檚 question Sunday about whether he supports abortion even in cases of rape.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,鈥澛燗kin聽said that day in comments that triggered a national firestorm. He later said he misspoke and apologized.
But聽Akin聽didn鈥檛 comment Tuesday on the 鈥渇emale body has ways to shut that whole thing down鈥� part of his statement, which was widely debunked by women鈥檚 groups in Missouri and nationwide.
Romney attempted to distance himself for the second straight day from the remarks that the Republican Party fears could further weaken its standing with women.
鈥淭odd聽Akin鈥檚聽comments were offensive and wrong, and he should very seriously consider what course would be in the best interest of our country,鈥� Romney said. 鈥淭oday, his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside, and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race.鈥�
The group of Missouri鈥檚 Republican senators 鈥� current and former 鈥� were just as direct, saying聽Akin鈥檚 comments about rape victims were 鈥渢otally unacceptable鈥� and that聽Akin聽must step down.
鈥淲e do not believe it serves the national interest for Congressman Todd聽Akin聽to stay in this race,鈥� they said in a statement. 鈥淭he issues at stake are too big, and this election is simply too important. The right decision is to step aside.鈥�
No less than control of the U.S. Senate could hang in the balance. Many political observers maintain that Republicans must oust Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill in November to have a shot at retaking the chamber they last held in 2007.
But聽Akin聽ignored a 5 p.m. deadline Tuesday that marked the last time he could withdraw without involving the courts.
He can still step down before Sept. 25, state officials said, but he would then have to ask a court to order the state to remove his name from the ballot. His campaign, or presumably the state party, would still be liable for covering the cost of reprinting any ballots with his name on them.
Missouri law states that the court issues a removal order. Some Democrats said if聽Akin聽withdraws, they might challenge him in court to further confuse matters for the GOP, which would pick a replacement to run against McCaskill.
After Tuesday鈥檚 deadline passed, a McCaskill spokesman said that the choice between聽Akin聽and McCaskill 鈥渋s stark, and Missouri voters will get to decide who will be on their side in the U.S. Senate.鈥�
Democrats also branded the GOP plank on abortion that was adopted Tuesday in Tampa as the 鈥淎kin聽plank.鈥� The plank, as it has since 2004, declares support for a constitutional amendment establishing that human life begins at conception.
A new SurveyUSA poll Tuesday determined that 54 percent of Missourians think聽Akin聽should drop out of the race.
But not all of the day鈥檚 developments were bad news for聽Akin, a six-term congressman from the St. Louis area. The Democratic polling business Public Policy Polling released a new survey that showed聽Akin聽leading McCaskill, but by a single point 鈥� 44-43 percent 鈥� a finding that聽Akin聽said showed that he was remaining competitive, despite all the negative attention.
Meanwhile,聽Akin, who declined to comment for this story, released a new TV ad that showed him looking directly into the camera and asking voters for forgiveness.
鈥淩ape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way, and for that I apologize,鈥� he says in the spot. 鈥淚 have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault.鈥�
He also rebuffed his own remark in the TV interview by saying in the ad, 鈥淭he fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy. The mistake I made is in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness.鈥�
Some Republicans acknowledged that the direct, eyes-on-the-camera ad was effective. And for the first time several conservative Republicans stepped forward to support聽Akin.
鈥淭odd聽Akin聽is a strong 海角大神 man with a wonderful family,鈥� U.S. Rep. Steve King of Iowa told a TV station. 鈥淚 think this election should be about how did Todd聽Akin聽vote, and what did he vote for, what did he stand for. And in this case I鈥檓 seeing the same thing 鈥� petty personal attacks substituting for strong policy.鈥�
Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the St. Louis-based Eagle Forum, said of聽Akin: 鈥淗e鈥檚 not for rape. That鈥檚 ridiculous. They鈥檙e making a big thing about an unfortunate remark.鈥�
In eastern Jackson County, Mo., at Truman Road and Missouri 291, supporter Ellen Bishop of Buckner on Tuesday removed a pair of 4-by-8 foot聽Akin聽campaign signs that had been vandalized prior to the candidate鈥檚 controversial remarks. She pledged to return them in late September or early October. She said she鈥檚 standing by聽Akin, but is unhappy with the Republican Party for abandoning him.
鈥淚鈥檓 discouraged by the Republican Party鈥檚 response because anyone who knows Todd聽Akin聽knows that at no point did he say rape was lawful in some way,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淭he man has represented our state for 12 years. You can鈥檛 choose a better guy to come up against the McCaskill-Obama team.鈥�
By day鈥檚 end, however, not one prominent GOP elected official in Missouri had stepped forward to defend聽Akin, and some Republicans said privately that the continuing focus on聽Akin聽is distracting Republicans from what they want to focus on 鈥� the economy, the lack of jobs and President Barack Obama鈥檚 performance in office.
Democratic operatives were keeping a tally of which Republican officials had denounced聽Akin, and which had yet to do so.
Political observers around Missouri, and even the head of the Republican National Committee, continued to express doubt about whether聽Akin聽can mount an effective campaign. Although several pointed out the race remains close 鈥� and might be all the way through Election Day 鈥� the long-term prospects for聽Akin鈥檚聽campaign were dubious.
They said he likely will have little money, he鈥檒l be shunned by Republican office-holders and removing the spotlight from his controversial rape remarks will be difficult, if not impossible.
鈥淗e鈥檒l be a huge underdog going into the general election,鈥� said Dave Robertson, a political scientist at the University of Missouri, St. Louis. 鈥淚 would say he鈥檚 damaged goods.鈥�
James Staab, a political scientist at the University of Central Missouri, added, 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be very difficult to turn it around.鈥�
On CNN, Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, admitted聽Akin聽will struggle to beat McCaskill without much money.
鈥淚 mean, we鈥檙e not going to send any money toward that race or spend money on the ground in that particular race,鈥� Priebus said. 鈥淚鈥檝e already called off the phone banks and all of the volunteers for Congressman聽Akin鈥檚race there.鈥�
But former Missouri GOP chairman Woody Cozad countered that no race 10 weeks before Election Day is over.
鈥淣othing鈥檚 beyond repair,鈥� Cozad said. 鈥淗e is not damaged beyond repair because that鈥檚 hard to do in American politics. Claire McCaskill is damaged goods.鈥�
Carl Bearden, a former state lawmaker who now heads the conservative lobbying group United for Missouri, said聽Akin聽can survive if he can get through the next few weeks.
鈥淭he key is to鈥eep focused on the economy and why Missouri is not being well served by Senator McCaskill supporting the Obama agenda.
鈥淗is problem will be if the money really does dry up, how does he get his message out?鈥�
