Posted on 08/23/2012 3:04:14 PM PDT by Red Steel
Tampa, Florida (CNN) -- Facing pressure from Republican heavyweights in Washington to abandon his Missouri Senate bid, Rep. Todd Akin is huddling with top conservative activists in Tampa to assess whether to move forward with his embattled candidacy.
Akin spent Wednesday night and Thursday in a series of private meetings at the two-day summit of the Council For National Policy (CNP), a secretive group of conservative leaders who are meeting in Florida before next week's RNC.
-snip-
Multiple sources at the CNP conference told CNN that Akin is being encouraged by leading figures in the conservative movement to remain in the Senate race even as he faces pressure from Republican establishment.
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Asked if Akin is using the meetings to re-evaluate his decision to stay in the Missouri race, a source close to the congressman told CNN that he is "keeping an open ear to those people who are pushing him or questioning him on viability."
But the source stressed that Akin is "getting a ton of support" from conservatives at the conference.
-snip-
Several of the conservatives attending the conference - most of whom refused to speak on the record because of the secretive nature of the CNP -- expressed resentment at the aggressive and heavy-handed treatment of Akin by Republican leaders in Washington who have pressured him to quit the Missouri race.
At least two people at the conference named Karl Rove, a co-founder of the powerful 527 group American Crossroads, as a specific source of frustration.
Rove's relationship with the activist wing of his party has grown frosty over the years, and sources backing Akin said they might not be rallying to his side with such vigor if Rove was not among those pushing Akin to get out.
(Excerpt) Read more at turnto23.com ...
This is evolving from a pro-life issue to a punish the GOP-e one. Too bad.
There are several Senate races where money and support would be greatly appreciated and where the GOP candidate actually has a chance to win.
The lunatics are running the asylum in this one.
But the only reason conservatives want Akin to drop out is they think the leftist smears will cost him the election.
In other words, they’re willing to just give up without a fight.
This push for Akin to get out starts with the Republican elite. The only difference between this and any other politically correct elitist issue is that this one has spread like a virus, overtaking the hearts and minds of a much larger segment of normally conservative folk.
As soon as this broke, conservatives should have circled the wagons and ramped up their support for Akin. If more conservatives had been strong enough to withstand the pressure from the left, Akin’s comeback would have already started.
“Look for those who are espousing views that are too on the nose, too perfect as examples of the Left’s stereotypes of conservatives and Republicans: avowed racists, contempt for the poor, etc.”
I’ve noticed. They’re pretty transparent if you pay attention.
They try to hide behind a conservative tagline or profile page, then they’ll parrot the left’s talking points, such as.... Romney/Bain/people lost jobs....Romney - hidden assets in Swiss account.....Romney should release 10 years of tax filings...Romney’s gaff worse then obama bowing, etc.
Wow! RINO Rove used his magic to make Akin say stupid things!
I’ve despise Rove since GWB’s first term, on the theory that a dead man should have been able to demolish Algore, and yet Algore won the popular vote. But Akin’s problems aren’t due to Rove. They are due to his big mouth & stupidity, which is hard to correct.
Second one today, or did I miss one?
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Wow, you’re good 2nd Div. Like Moths being drawn to a light!
Never mind the harpies.
Thanks for the article. These meetings were a seminal moment in his campaign. They could have ended it but it looks like they’re sticking with him.
Ignore the comments about Rove, that’s the kind of thing reporters would elicit for interest. Serious people don’t view issues through personalities.
I’d say he’s on a path to lose by 3 to 5%, but these guys are wiser than me.
The PAC money will come back if he does well and needs it.
Missouri doesn’t have an effective voter id law- that hurts him.
No it was Akin who have should have shut up, but you can never blame your hero Akin for messing up in the first place.
The GOP should have just shut up and called the guy on the phone instead of using the media...They all made it worse...now they can make adds with the loud mouths
Right. A better way to handle this. And many other ways to handle this situation. Akin made himself unavailable. Many of those who spoke publicly had to by the nature of their own campaigns and the media machine.
Why are his defenders so quick to deflect blame when this mess is all laid at his feet? What investment do you have in Todd Akin?
Why is he more important than repealing ObamaCare? Why is he more important than ending public funding for Planned Parenthood? Why is he more important than reviving the economy and getting millions back to work and off gov't assistance? Why is he import important than our out-of-control budgets? Why is he more important than defeating Claire McCaskill? Why is he more important than defeating Barack Obama?
Why Todd Akin and not one of the "thousands" (his word) of other prolife conservatives who can take his place and actually beat McCaskill?
But the Moonbat McCaskill does not say that anywhere in her ads or does the narrator say that targeting Akin. The truth is that OBot McCaskill hoped anyone of the R primary candidates would say something that could be portrayed as a voter turn off. She had no crystal ball.
The ads say "Akin is too conservative for Missouri."
Sounds like a guy to support.
No it actually starts with people who do not believe in such things as a uterine goalkeeper who kicks the sperm away, as Akin does.
I don’t think his comments were enough for everyone to go completely nuts about it.
That one isolated comment was not something on which his campaign or his principles are based. The disproportion here is ludicrous.
As widely reported, Rove's PAC was spending money to elect Akin. Rove wants to win. Akin's defenders do not.
BS -- Rove doesn't want Akin in the Senate and he would rather throw the race than see Akin elected.
“This crowd is run by the destructive Huckster.”
The only Huckster out there is Romney! Mike Huckabee is an honorable man and I wish he were the candidate for POTUS.
I was relieved last year when he decided not to run. Not because I didn’t support him, but because I didn’t want to see him pillored and denigrated by fools.
However, now I wished he would have run. I think he could have stopped Myth in hindsight.
I would rather have Mike Huckabee as the candidate to represent the GOP anyday over Myth Romney.
BS A+Bert. Obviously you didn't.
Saying it again since you like deja vu. Levin said it yesterday, that if Akin stays in, the RNC [to Priebus] should get behind him because the alternative IS McCaskill.
Who are working for ?????
I'm not working for no one Bozo.
I was talking in general. But if the shoe fits you are welcome to wear it.
Please, drive to Tampa and plead with Todd Akin to quit the race.
Might want to ad Minnesota to that list.
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