Akin Defies GOP Pleas to Drop Out of Missouri Senate Race After Rape Comments Spark Uproar

DemocracyNow.org - Republican Rep. Todd Akin has refused to drop out of Missouri's senate race, defying calls from leaders of his own party who say he could hurt Republican chances this November. Akin sparked a national controversy over the weekend after he told an interviewer that women are somehow capable of blocking pregnancy during what he called a "legitimate rape," a comment he later apologized over. Republicans, from presidential candidate Mitt Romney to Karl Rove to Senate leaders, urged Akin to withdraw before a Tuesday deadline for Missouri candidates. But Akin has pressed ahead with his campaign, tweeting to supporters: "Donations are pouring in. Thank you for standing up against the liberal elite." We speak to Craig Unger, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and author of the new book, "Boss Rove: Inside Karl Rove's Secret Kingdom of Power." Unger says that Rove's super PAC "had put in more than $5 million into the Akin campaign, which was twice as much as the Akin campaign put in. So he was responsible for Akin's lead over McCaskill more than anyone." However, on the Akin controversy, Unger says, "This is [Rove's] nightmare, and he was doing everything he could to pull the plug immediately. ... This is not the conversation [the Republicans] want to have."

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