U.S. Senator John Cornyn, Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, today made the following statement regarding Congressman Todd Akin:
“Congressman Akin’s statements were wrong, offensive, and indefensible. I recognize that this is a difficult time for him, but over the next twenty-four hours, Congressman Akin should carefully consider what is best for him, his family, the Republican Party, and the values that he cares about and has fought for throughout his career in public service.”
Not too hard to read between those lines, huh? Akin hasn’t left yet; if Cornyn were completely behind that stance, he wouldn’t be calling for additional “consideration” in the next twenty-four hours.
Akin, the Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, controversially claimed on Sunday that a woman’s body can block an unwanted pregnancy.
“If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down,” Akin said in an interview with KTVI-TV.
UPDATE: With word that the NRSC is telling Akin they’re cutting off his funding and assistance, and urging him to go out, perhaps we can conclude, “if a candidate is a legitimate liability and embarrassment, the GOP body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Akin’s not out yet, but an enormous amount of pressure is being brought to bear upon his political ambitions.