Missouri

TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. - Ask Missouri Republicans to share their thoughts on Rep. Todd Akin, the Senate candidate who declared recently that women rarely become pregnant from rape, and they take a minute to form a response. Lips purse, eyes squint, heads tilt as people ponder whether to be polite or blunt. "What a dummy," one woman whispers. "He just came across as not being very intelligent," says another. Republicans in the Show-Me State have been waiting six years to oust Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat who was an early and enthusiastic backer of Barack Obama in 2008.

CHESTERFIELD, Mo. -- A defiant Todd Akin insisted Friday that he will remain in the Missouri Senate race despite calls from many in his own party to drop his troubled bid. Akin, a six-term Republican congressman, called a press conference Friday in his St. Louis-area congressional district because, he said, "there's some people who are having trouble understanding our message. " "We're going to be here through the November election and we're going to be here to win," Akin said.

Missouri's besieged Republican Senate candidate, Rep. Todd Akin, blitzed the national morning TV shows Wednesday, portraying his decision to stay in the race as one of "principle. " "This is not about me. It's not about my ego, it's about the voters of the state of Missouri" who chose him as the nominee in this summer's primary, he said on NBC's "Today" show as he explained why he had rejected pleas from party leaders to quit the race. The choice of a candidate should be made by voters, not "party bosses," he said.

WASHINGTON - Leading Republicans sought Monday to pressure Rep. Todd Akin into quitting the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, fearing his ill-considered remarks on abortion and rape would cost the GOP its shot at controlling the chamber and damage the party's presidential ticket. Democrats, eager to capitalize on Akin's comments, issued a burst of fundraising appeals - subject line: "Legitimate rape" - and even President Obama weighed in, saying the congressman's statement was hard to comprehend.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Former Missouri Sen. Jim Talent declined Monday to endorse Rep. Todd Akin's continued presence on the Missouri Senate ballot. "It's a decision he has to make," said Talent. The former senator has more than a casual interest in the matter:  It's his old seat that Akin is trying to reclaim for the Republicans. Talent lost it to Democrat Claire McCaskill in the 2006 Democratic wave. Until Akin's weekend comments about "legitimate rape," McCaskill had been considered the most vulnerable Democrat up for re-election this fall.

WASHINGTON - Another ominous sign for embattled Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin: the heavyweight conservative groups American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS are pulling out of the state and halting their advertising against Akin's opponent, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. “The act speaks for itself,” Crossroads spokesman Nate Hodson said Monday. Akin caused a furor Sunday after suggesting in a television interview that women who have experienced “legitimate rape” can biologically prevent a pregnancy.

The Republican nominee for a U.S. Senateseat in Missouri on Sunday advanced the theory that the female reproductive system can shut down during what he described as a "legitimate rape," thus preventing conception in most cases. Rep. Todd Akin, a tea party candidate who is challenging incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in Missouri's closely watched race, was asked in a local television interview about whether he supported access to abortion in the case of rape. "If abortion could be considered in the case of, say, a tubal pregnancy [which threatens the mother's life]

Republican U.S. Senate  candidate Todd Akin conceded that his controversial comments about “legitimate rape” were “ill conceived” and “wrong,” but insisted in a radio interview Monday that he would not give up his campaign to replace Claire McCaskill as U.S. senator from Missouri. “Let me be clear, rape is never legitimate. It is an evil act,” Akin said in an interview with media personality and former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. “What I said was ill conceived and it was wrong and for that I apologize.” But paraphrasing American naval hero John Paul Jones -- “I've not yet begun to fight” -- Akin said what he called a misstep should not disqualify him from the race, despite calls from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.)

The conciliatory Facebook post by Rep. Todd Akin on Sunday afternoon wasn't exactly an apology, nor did it clarify his position on the relationship between rape and pregnancy. But he clearly needed to address the furor set off Sunday morning when the ardently antiabortion Republican, who is challenging Democrat Claire McCaskill for her U.S. Senate seat, told a St. Louis TV host that during “legitimate rape,” women's bodies somehow prevent conception from taking place.

WASHINGTON -- It's easy to overlook congressional primaries in a presidential election year. Though the outcome of most of Tuesday's contests is almost certain, some races are worth watching. Who will take on Claire McCaskill in Missouri? The most-watched contest Tuesday will  take place in Missouri, where three Republicans are vying for the party's nomination to challenge embattled Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill. There's no clear front-runner, but polls suggest any of the candidates would enter the general election with an edge over McCaskill.