This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 15, 2012 - Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney may not want to be linked to Todd Akin, Missouri’s GOP U.S. Senate nominee, but Akin wouldn’t mind being tied to Romney.
“If Romney does well here, I’ll do well,” Akin told reporters Monday. “That’s just my gut.”
Most of the latest independent polls have shown Romney ahead in the high-single-digits over President Barack Obama, a Democrat. Analysts have said for months that a strong Romney showing could help Republicans down the Missouri ballot, and hurt Sen. Claire McCaskill, Akin's Democratic target.
McCaskill contends that Obama will perform better in Missouri than some expect.
In any case, Akin’s gut also apparently tells him that most of the daily attacks he’s fielded from McCaskill, D-Mo., are distractions from what he asserts are the legitimate issues in the U.S. Senate contest.
That includes her most recent emailed releases raising questions about Akin’s arrest during an abortion protest more than 20 years, his opposition to the minimum wage, and his views on evolution. And her recent ads that feature rape victims critical of his comments regarding “legitimate rape.”
Akin said Monday that he doesn’t want to discuss most of those matters (minimum wage is an exception), because he says they’re extraneous to their contest.
“I think her best strategy is to try to get people distracted about this, that or the other thing,” Akin said. “She has to come up with anything other than the four-year record that she and President Obama have accumulated, a record of failure and broken promises.”
In the case of whether he believes in evolution, for example, Akin demurred and contended that the McCaskill campaign is behaving “like a magician. ‘See the birdie,’ and he puts his hand in your pocket. That’s a great question for college students, but it has nothing to do with the record of choosing a senator…That is the point. The record and what is America going to be. That has absolutely nothing to do with it.”
“That was my mistake in getting on to that other subject that I don’t answer questions on anymore,” Akin said, apparently referring to the controversy over his televised comments Aug. 19 about rape that touched off controversy, and unsuccessful calls for him to withdraw.
Janet Huckabee tours state on Akin's behalf
Akin’s observations came after a West County luncheon featuring Janet Huckabee, wife of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a strong Akin supporter.
Janet Huckabee was traveling the state Monday to campaign for Akin, who she said had been subject to unfair “political bullying”’ by Republican leaders. She praised Akin’s socially conservative views, including his opposition to most abortions, in her speech to the largely female crowd of about 150.
The other speakers also emphasized their opposition to abortion, including Missouri Right to Life executive director Patty Skain and a woman who said she was an abortion survivor. The woman said her mother had undergone an unsuccessful illegal abortion in 1960 by a St. Louis physician.
Akin’s remarks highlighted his religious faith and that of early founders, including the Pilgrims, who he likened to the Marines because of their devotion to a single purpose; in the Pilgrims’ case, it was their commitment to God.
As for abortion, he told the crowd, “if you don’t protect life, you’re not even getting to first base.”
Candidates spar over who's been tougher with China
Meanwhile, McCaskill launched a new TV ad this weekend that doesn’t mention Akin or abortion, but instead promotes her views on how best to deal with China, which now has millions of manufacturing jobs that a few decades ago used to be in the United States.
McCaskill said in the ad that she opposes unfair trade policies.
Akin says he does as well, as his campaign asserted that McCaskill has voted to allow China to continue to “manipulate its currency,’’ so that it is artificially low in comparison with the U.S. dollar, in order to keep down the prices of imported Chinese-made products.
"Once again, Claire McCaskill is saying one thing while doing another," said Akin spokesperson Ryan Hite. "The truth is that Claire McCaskill voted with China and against Missouri manufacturers when it comes to currency manipulation. It shows how bad McCaskill's record is that she is running ads on issues that she has voted the wrong way on.”
McCaskill’s campaign, in turn, asserted that Akin has “ consistently supported legislation that gave companies greater incentive to kill American jobs by shipping them overseas. “
McCaskill campaign spokesman Erik Dorey said, “While Claire held both the Obama administration and China accountable for bad policies that hurt Missouri jobs, Akin continues working to protect loopholes that reward companies for shipping Missouri job overseas….Beyond supporting policies that outsource jobs, Akin punished Missouri workers by opposing legislation aimed at helping those who lost their jobs because of outsourcing...."
