Akin Causing Problems For GOP

Do you remember Todd Akin?  He’s the Republican candidate who may single handedly derail their efforts to control the Senate.

Akin is running against incumbent Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill for the US Senate.  Akin is the guy who gave us the astoundingly stupid statement about “legitimate rape.”  Akin is the guy who told us that pregnancy as a result of rape is unlikely because a woman’s body “has a way of shutting down that whole thing.”  Akin is the guy who could make or break the Republican Party’s chances to take control of the Senate.

You may recall that upon hearing Akin’s astoundingly stupid statements Republican Party leaders abandoned the Tea Party backed candidate like rats leaving a sinking ship.  Romney, Ryan, Cantor, McConnell and a host of others condemned his remarks and urged him to step aside.  Karl Rove and a number of other financial backers pulled their support.  It looked to everyone like Akin was done.

Except Todd Akin!

Akin flipped the party leaders the bird and said he wasn’t going anywhere.  He said that the people of Missouri voted him as their candidate and only the people of Missouri could tell him to leave. Akin was in it for the long haul.

Any chance that Akin might withdraw ended this week with the passage of the state deadline for all candidates to be removed from the ballot.  Like it or not…Todd Akin is the Republican candidate for US Senate from the state of Missouri.

Akin celebrated by putting his foot in his mouth once again.  After Senator McCaskill tore into Akin in their most recent debate; Akin said that the Senator was not very “ladylike” in her approach.  Nothing closes the gender gap for swing voters like referring to your tough female opponent as un-ladylike.

Republicans would love to ditch Akin.  But they desperately need his seat to have any chance of controlling the Senate.  So do they pour money into his campaign and legitimize his candidacy or do they distance themselves and risk losing the bigger prize?

Once again the Tea Party radicals have cost the Republican Party.  In 2010 Republicans could have easily won Senate seats in Delaware and Nevada.  But the Tea Party forced the nomination of Christine “I am not a Witch” O’Donnell and crazy Sharon Engle.  Both lost and the Democrats retained the Senate.  Now the Republican Party faces the same dilemma with the train wreck candidacy of Todd Akin.

So how do Republicans enthusiastically support a guy who they were pillaring just a few weeks ago?

Perhaps they should consult with Mitt Romney.  After all, nobody is better at flip flopping than the leader of the Republican Party.