Top Republicans backpedal, support Akin

A key Republican group and top conservatives said they changed their mind and now backed Rep. Todd Akin's Senate campaign, despite his "legitimate rape" remark. "There is no question that for Missourians who believe we need to stop the reckless Washington spending, rein in the role of government in people's lives, and finally focus on growing jobs in this country, that Todd Akin is a far more preferable candidate than liberal Sen. Claire McCaskill," National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Jesmer said in a statement. Former GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum and Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a leading member in the Tea Party movement, said Wednesday they backed Akin, a day after the final deadline passed for him to get off the ballot. "Todd Akin is a principled conservative who is committed to winning and fighting for freedom in the U.S. Senate," Santorum and DeMint said in a joint statement. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo. -- who had been charged with trying to get Akin to drop out of the race after he said rape victims had a natural ability to avoid pregnancy if the rape was "legitimate" -- also said he supported his fellow Missourian in his race for incumbent McCaskill's seat. Establishment Republicans have said the race is lost, but Akin trails McCaskill only by single digits in polls. Some Republicans have suggested Akin might still have a chance to win the seat, The Washington Post reported. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the head of the Democratic Senate campaign committee, called GOP support for Akin "absolutely shameful." "All Republican candidates across the country are now going to have to answer for their party's support of Akin," she said in a statement. Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Shripal Shah said, "No one should've been fooled by the Republican Party's faux outrage and their ensuing change of course, because as the Republican establishment is making clear today, the Akin backlash was never about principle; it was purely about politics." The NRSC said after Akin's "legitimate rape" comment it would not spend money on his behalf this fall. The committee declined to tell The Washington Post Wednesday if its switch to support Akin now meant it would spend money on his campaign. It said it didn't want to telegraph its strategy. Akin was asked by Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate KTVI-TV, St. Louis, Aug. 19 if abortion should be legal in the case of rape. "From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," Akin said. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." The six-term congressman came under immediate pressure to quit the race, including from Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of Senate campaign efforts. Major conservative "super PACs," including American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS, pulled out of Missouri and halted their multimillion-dollar ad campaigns against McCaskill. Akin has apologized, saying he "misspoke," but has campaigned on the support he received from those who shared his view. He opposes abortion, even in the case of rape and incest. Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker and onetime presidential hopeful, said Monday Romney and other Republicans would back Akin, saying losing a Senate race was more important than losing one's values and they had a "moral obligation" to get over their outrage. "For the first 48 hours, fine. Now it's stupid," he told about 50 Akin supporters at a train station in downtown Kirkwood, Mo., a St. Louis suburb, before addressing a $500-a-plate lunchtime fundraiser for Tea Party Caucus member Akin. Unseating McCaskill had been viewed as a linchpin in the GOP's Senate takeover strategy.