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Philip Klein ‏@philipaklein Akin citing PPP poll

This is what the race for the Senate currently looks like. We need a net gain of four seats to win the Senate. we may very well lose ME and MA, and if we do, we would need to pick up six seats which are now held by Democrats. MO was strongly counted on to be one of those six seats. Without it, the climb greatly steepens and we'd have to take two of three from VA, OH, and FL. Races in those three states are Lean Dem to Toss Up at this time. When I redo this chart, I...

Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., told Mike Huckabee that he will not drop out of the U.S. Senate race as party leadership has requested after his remarks on rape and abortion. “We are going to continue with this race for the U.S. Senate,” Akin told Huckabee on radio today. He reiterated that he misspoke, but then took a shot at the party brass that didn’t support him in the primary. “They were with us, and then I said one word in one sentence on one day and everything changed, and now we’re back where we were in the primary,” Akin said....

Rep. Todd Akin, the embattled Senate candidate who used the phrase “legitimate rape” in talking about abortion and pregnancy, said Tuesday afternoon that he would stick to his decision to remain in the race.

Since PPP decided it can't help itself, I've done you all a service. I went through their ridiculous R+9 sample and ONLY changed the D/R/I proportions to match previous elections, and an even turnout. With R+9, PPP's headline screams Akin up by 1. It is an obvious, sick ploy to get this delusional Bio101 flunkie to stay in and cost us a seat. Here are the real numbers: If turnout in November matches 2008 (it won't): McCaskill 49.25% Akin 39% (this is a D+6 turnout model) If turnout in November is even, an incredible feat for the GOP considering heavy...

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2012/08/21/report-akin-places-ad-buy-for-august-22-27/ and https://twitter.com/BuzzFeedBen/statuses/237929985439051776

Assuming Akin does not drop out by 5PM today...obviously this will have an effect on the MO Senate race. If he loses, can the GOP still get control of the Senate? What about the national race? The Dems are going to milk this as much as they can, along with their willing allies in the MSM. Could this cause MO to vote for Obama? Right now, Romney is leading there. Just looking for the thoughts of others.

From the open of Rush's show. Rush says he's hesitant to toss this guy under the bus. 'I have a tendency to want to support conservatives who come under fire'....'Dems circle the wagon, we circle the firing squad'

Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo. -- the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in the November election -- is under pressure from Republican leaders to exit the race after wide coverage of his comments in a TV interview that during rape, "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," so she rarely gets pregnant. Akin walked back from his remarks, but Dr. John C. Willke -- president of the nationwide Life Issues Institute, who practiced medicine in Cincinnati for 40 years -- has not. Willke served 10 years as president of the National Right to Life Committee....

snip....The truth is the "legitimate rape" comment made by U.S. Rep. Todd Akin -- as in pregnancy from "legitimate rape" is rare -- is not a GOP anomaly, but rather another disturbing glimpse into the viewpoint too many social conservatives have about women's health and reproductive rights....snip

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Monday, where she declined to weigh in on whether GOP Missouri Senate nominee Todd Akin should drop out in the wake of his controversial comments that “legitimate” rape can’t lead to pregnancy. “It’s not my place to decide,” said McCaskill. “I really think that for the national party to try to come in here and dictate to the Republican primary voters that they’re going to invalidate their decision, that would be pretty radical. I think there could be a backlash for the Republicans if they did that.”

Hey, if Todd Akin’s remarks are so shameful (and they are) and his ignorance of topics he would seek to legislate is an embarrassment (and it is)… what are we to make of the recent comments from his rival, Sen. Claire McCaskill? McCaskill issued supportive remarks about Akin on Monday, saying she and Akin “disagree on some things, but he is sincere.” “While I disagree with what he said, he has now in the last few hours really apologized for what he said. I think what is startling to me is that these party bigwigs are coming down on him...

Here's the thing, if you're running for the Senate and you have to cut a spot that assures voters that you think rape is bad and you now know that women don't have a goalie in their vajay-jay to stop sperm in case of "legitimate rape", you're in big trouble. I didn't think I'd live long enough to see an ad worse than "I'm not a witch" but I was wrong. I regret the error. PPP has a poll out showing Akin still leading by 1. Alas, it's total bull. Almost as if Democrats want to keep Akin hanging in...

Rep. Todd Akin has, unwittingly to be sure, harmed the pro-life movement, his senatorial race in Missouri, the Republican Party, and therefore quite possibly the nation. Every person who speaks or writes for the public will make an occasional faux pas, and sooner or later, will write or say something inappropriate. The game of "gotcha" that the media play -- especially with regard to Republicans and conservatives -- is what makes so many politicians sound robotic when they speak. But Congressman Akin said something that cries out for condemnation and retraction -- and necessitates an explanation. On a Missouri TV...

HALPERIN: “The national Republicans are feeling a little frustrated. not only do they not have any persuasive arguments that have worked so far but they’re having trouble finding him or reaching him. They’re not in dialogue with him as they might be with a normal party nominee.

Missouri Senate GOP nominee Todd Akin’s remarks on rape yesterday not only could endanger the Republicans’ chances in that particular race as well as their chances of taking back the Senate in the fall, they also could further damage the GOP’s brand with women. ......................................................... But a source with ties to Akin’s political operation tells First Read that the GOP congressman most likely won’t quit the contest, saying Akin believes this race is “providential” and even if Akin was ready to get out, his wife would never let him quit. The person with knowledge of Akin’s political operation adds: “She...

The nation's largest tea party political action committee, the Tea Party Express, is calling on Rep. Todd Akin to step down as Missouri's Republican nominee for a Senate seat on Monday following controversial comments the congressman made about rape. Answering a question about whether he thought abortion should be legal in cases of rape, Akin said in an interview Sunday that in instances of "legitimate rape" the female body has ways of stopping a potential pregnancy. Video of the interview was posted online by the liberal super PAC American Bridge. Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer said in a statement...

A SurveyUSA poll conducted Monday finds that only 35 percent of Missouri adults think Akin should stay in the Senate race, while 54 percent of Missourians think he should drop out. Akin has until 5:00 p.m. Tuesday to drop out of the race. SurveyUSA also asked respondents: "The candidate who made the comments, Todd Akin, now says that he mis-spoke. Do you think he mis-spoke?" Only 32 percent say that Akin misspoke, while 52 percent say he did not.

August 20, 2012 AKIN WILL WITHDRAW: WHAT HAPPENS NOW? Mike Flynn ........ At some point before 5pm CDT tomorrow, Akin will file papers to formally withdraw his name from the ballot. I realize today Akin was defiant and said he wasn't a "quitter." His supporters claim he will stay in the race because he views his candidacy as "providential", but this is just the bluster before the end. Everyone is entitled to 24 hours to try to right their ship, but Akin did nothing today to cauterize the wound. When Reince Priebus, Ann Coulter, NRSC and Tea Party Express are...

WASHINGTON — Fearing that a seat crucial to winning a Senate majority could slip away, the national Republican establishment on Monday unleashed a furious campaign to drive Representative Todd Akin, the party’s newly selected nominee, out of the race against Missouri’s Democratic senator.Amid an uproar over provocative comments on rape and abortion that Mr. Akin made in an interview broadcast on Sunday, the National Republican Senatorial Committee declared that it would withdraw financial and organizational support for Mr. Akin, including $5 million in advertising already reserved for the fall. ...Crossroads GPS, a Republican advocacy group that had already spent more...