This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 28, 2012 - After more than a week in the eye of a political hurricane, Republican U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin plans to return to the campaign trail later this week.
Akin, a congressman from Wildwood, will be hitting the road with a series of campaign events, spokesman Ryan Hite said. “We’re still putting the schedule together.”
New TV ads also should follow within days, the spokesman added.
The campaign staff has been busily working on his campaign comeback, ever since Akin’s news conference last Friday when he declared that he was staying in the race against U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
Akin has been under pressure from national and state Republican leaders to withdraw in the wake of an Aug. 19 TV interview in which he talked about “legitimate rape”; and the alleged ability of true rape victims to avoid pregnancy.
Akin has since apologized for the statement and acknowledged that rape can lead to pregnancy. That hasn’t stopped some of the vocal opposition to his continued candidacy. Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus told conservatives in Tampa that the RNC won’t help Akin financially, regardless of any improvement in the opinion polls.
“He could be tied” with McCaskill, Priebus said. “We’re not going to send him a penny.”
Akin’s campaign manager, son Perry Akin, replied in a statement, “Reince Priebus' comments are extremely disappointing. He claims the mantle of freedom, liberty and the good of America, but this betrays his apparent personal vendetta against Todd Akin. He is putting party power and political games ahead of the good of the country."
(Start update) On Wednesday, the Akin campaign sent out yet-another donation solicitation to allies and framed its campaign as an outsider taking on the party establishment.
"Party bosses and the Washington elite always seem to want to take the easy way out," Akin wrote. "The federal budget is a great example – insiders keep folks happy by making sure everyone has a little something. Those same party bosses and D.C. insiders have turned their backs on our campaign. But the people of Missouri said, 'Not so fast!'
"We have received an outpouring of support from people just like you who are saying 'No' to the party bosses, and saying 'Yes!' to our campaign – a campaign centered on protecting life, taking back the Senate, and defeating liberal Sen. Claire McCaskill." (End update)
Akin's campaign expects to circulate on the internet soon a 75-second spot targeting McCaskill. The spot, first aired on the national political website Politico, features former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, arguably Akin's most prominent defender.
Akin's campaign also announced that it had the endorsements of "over 120 pastors and Christian leaders" from throughout Missouri "who are publicly standing with Todd Akin."
All had signed a letter stating: "We the undersigned do hereby affirm/reaffirm our continued support of Congressman Todd Akin for the office of U.S. Senate. We know his character and his conservative convictions. Furthermore, we accept fully his apology and his request for forgiveness."
Akin camp alleges threats to staff
Akin's spokesman Ryan Hite confirmed that some members of Akin's campaign staff, and some volunteers, have received threatening emails, some of which assert their careers might be ruined if they stay with Akin.
A source close to Akin provided the Beacon a copy of one such email that allegedly came from a GOP committeeperson in central Missouri. The sender’s name had been blacked out.
“Many within the Republican Party have noticed your energetic and passionate work with Todd Akin’s Senate campaign,” the note read. “You are young, well spoken, and likeable. I have spoken with many other state committeemen and women and there is a consensus among those who know of you that you may very well be a rising star within the Missouri GOP. But not if you stay on Todd Akin’s failing campaign.”
The note continued, “ I do not want to see your future in Missouri politics tarnished, and if you continue to support Mr. Akin’s bid for Senate by working on his campaign, the MRP will have no choice but to refuse support for any future political endeavors you may have."
A spokesman for the Missouri Republican Party condemned such a note, and said party leaders did not condone such activities.
“None of the more than 2,800 Republican committee members across the state has the authority to speak on behalf of the Missouri Republican Party,” said state party spokesman Jonathon Prouty. “We cannot verify the authenticity of this unsourced email, but we do know that it was absolutely not authorized or sent by the MRP. The content of this email does not in any way reflect the views of the Missouri Republican Party, and we strongly condemn this type of politics.”
Akin spokesman Hite said the campaign would not comment on its reaction to the emails or that of staff who have received them. But he added, “We’re all still here.”
Webb joins McCaskill at Truman Library
Meanwhile, McCaskill also is continuing her campaign. She is to be in Independence, Mo., on Wednesday, at Harry S Truman’s presidential library, accompanied by retiring U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., and a native of St. Joseph, Mo.
McCaskill and Webb are slated to focus on their joint efforts since 2007 to focus on waste and abuse in military contracts. The two helped set up a “wartime contracting commission’’ reminiscent of Truman’s work in the early days of World War II, while he was in the U.S. Senate.
(Start update) McCaskill also has launched a new TV ad campaign, that consists of a positive spot that focuses on her and her family. Not Akin. (End update)
