Kit Bond to endorse Akin, Priebus hints at RNC support

Kit Bond -- a former governor, senator and decades-long fixture in Missouri Republican politics -- will endorse Todd Akin's Senate bid Friday, an Akin campaign source tells CBS News.

Bond's official backing of the embattled candidate could signal to the state's GOP establishment that it's time to get behind the challenger's effort to unseat Sen. Claire McCaskill now that that the deadline for him to withdraw from the race has passed.

The news of Bond's impending endorsement came after the National Republican Senatorial Committee suggested Wednesday that it is may reverse its previous vow to withhold any additional financial support from Akin.

"As with every Republican Senate candidate, we hope Todd Akin wins in November and we will continue to monitor this race closely in the days ahead," NRSC Executive Director Rob Jesmer said in a statement.

Last month, Bond was at the forefront of a failed effort to persuade Akin to drop out after the Republican nominee made a controversial claim, for which he later apologized, that victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant.

Additionally, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Thursday in an interview with CBS News that he was backing off from the heavy criticism he had leveled at Akin when he, too, was encouraging the nominee to drop out of the race.

Priebus' prior vow that the RNC would not send Akin "a penny" apparently still applies in the technical sense, since the committee does not give money directly to candidates, but Priebus said the RNC was dedicated to doing everything it could to promote "the entire ticket" of Republicans running in Missouri.

Asked directly if he considered Akin to be a better option for Missouri voters than McCaskill, Priebus did not hesitate.

"Well, absolutely," he said in the interview. "That's a given, and as chairman of the party, I have an obligation to make sure we win as many seats in the Senate as possible."

The Senate Conservatives Fund -- a nationally active political action committee founded by South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint -- also jumped to Akin's defense on Thursday with an endorsement and financial pledge of $290,000 to his campaign.

The new commitments to Akin came as the congressman told reporters that McCaskill's demeanor during last week's debate was not as "ladylike" as it was in her 2006 debates against Jim Talent.

[stevehamilton858]

I don't think the backlash is over on this repulsive, stupid comment by Akin. Why is it stupid? How can committing a felony ever be legitimate? Oh well, Akin probably doesn't know the meaning of the word "legitimate" - and this is the kind of ignorant buffoon the GOP would have us vote for?

The GOP leadership ought to listen to Jeb Bush's warnings. They're going to implode.

[Obamamyguy]

The Republican Party keeps stooping lower and lower and lower.We need a two party system. At this rate The Republican Party is risking total meltdown.

[gbreadmann]

The RNC refuses to get legitimately raped in a Senate race; they have ways to try & shut that whole thing down.

[stevehamilton858]

To LARNANS: I like your new verb, but I think the GOP had already been Akinized before that incredibly ignorant man made his stupid comment. Just as a matter for a Freshman logic class, how can a committing a felony ever be legitimate?

I guess by Akinized you mean the GOP will back anyone they think even has a shot at getting elected, no matter how much of a liability he or she would be for the country.

[Larnan5]

Watch out Dems in Missouri
This republican voter fraud is probably nationwide and going on as we post.. The GOP today is a party of hypocrites and has also been AKINIZED.

[bantamei]

Not surprised that misogynistic Republicans are backing this low life.

[stevehamilton858]

Shame on the Republican Party members who endorse the kind of garbage that Akin spouted. this guy should be tarred and feathered by his own party for the disgrace he has brought them; instead a senior GOP official supports Akin.

No wonder that Roberta McCain, John's mother, was so saddened by the changes for the worse, she has seen since "W" was elected. When I see the word "Neocon", I think "Nazi", and the kind of mentality among German citizens that put Hitler in power. Akin feels about women pretty much the way Hitler felt about Jews.

There are times when the first amendment should be suspended, and the Akin comments represent one of them.

[audemus]

It's not surprising that Republicans would now support Akin since they have no one else to support who's nearly as nuts as they are.....

It also exposes their seemingly boundless hypocrisy, and perhaps the schizophrenic nature of conservative politics as well. The exact same people who were falling over themselves to get away from this fruit-fly a little over a month ago, are once again supporting him.

As a reminder, here is what the Republican candidate for Senate from Missouri, Todd Akin, said:

"It seems to be, first of all, from what I understand from doctors,it's really rare. If it's a LEGITIMATE RAPE, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down." -Todd Akin

Rightfully so, Mitt Romney called Akin's comments, "Inexcusable" "Deeply offensive" and added that "I can't defend him."

Republican Senator Scott P. Brown of Massachusetts called them, "Outrageous, inappropriate and wrong."

Karl Rove's lunacy, "American Crossroads" pulled advertising support, and Sean Hannity on his "program" pushed for Akin to "..quit for the good of the party."


The truly scarry part is that the Republicans in Missouri can't find a saner candidate to take Akin's place even if they were allowed to.

The "Show Me" state ( at least the Republican side ), is doing that all right....showing the rest of the country just how out of step with honor, truth and plain intelligence, they truly are. And it's painful to watch.

[stevehamilton858]

It is painful, and it could be avoidable if the RNC would get their thumbs out of their butts and work at changing the constituency of the Republican Party back to what it was when Eisenhower was president - right leaning centrists who passed laws and did the job they were elected to do. George Washington in his farewell address to the nation, about 200 years ago said, "beware the evils of party". today's GOP is giving us graphic evidence of what he meant. I think the GOP will be a "rump party" by the end of 2013, no longer a relevant factor in national politics.

BTW, what kind of doofus would dig an enormous underground garage at the tide line? Mitt will soon find out whether Maseratis float, and what kind of damage sea water can do to an automobile, especially when the water level rises as a result of non-existent global warming. What the heck, he'll probably just deduct the loss from his taxable income, claiming it was a business asset.

[Think3Times]

He never lost his GOP support! They just wanted the general public to "think" they no longer supported him.

I'm sure it went something like this:

GOP: What the hell were you thinking when you said that? You KNOW we don't want people knowing where we really stand on this! So here's what we are going to do: First we are going to make it look like you have alienated us for a couple months and pretend to withdraw support and say things like drop out of the race. Now don't REALLY drop out of the race because we still want you there of course, but we don't want the public to know it so KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Then after a couple months we will ease back into supporting you (as far as the public can see). This time we let you go with a warning, next time you reveal our true motives to the public you're outta here!

[stevehamilton858]

Good scenario, except I'm not sure that they would have given him an ultimatum, threatening firing.

[superdem1]

Women of America, this is the kind of person the Republican Party will put into the US Senate to legislate your rights away. Don't just get angry and disgusted with Missouri and cluck your tongue, vote against YOUR LOCAL REPUBLICANS, wherever you may live, because they are all in this together, they vote as ONE, they ALL oppose womens' rights, they ALL get their dark unregulated money from the same people, your Republicans are no better than Missouri's or anywhere else, and they will ALL turn on a dime against their lofty "morals" to advance their cause. You see that yesterday's Republican criticisms of this ignorant man are today worth nothing. They were actually worthless yesterday, too, offered to redeem their own brand, but they didn't think anyone would find out, but today they are eating those bitter words like candy. Republican hipocrites !

[stevehamilton858]

Harry Truman said in 1948 what you just said, but in a shorter sentence, "when you get into the voting booth, just vote the straight Democratic ticket. We're for the little guys, the Republicans are for the fat cats".

[sweetcakesmaria]

What is the definition of a legitimate rape? This means that the RNC and the Republican Party are endorsing the rape comments made by Akin. Women need to wakeup and smell the coffee. To support any Republican Candidate for any office is basically voting against your own interest.

[stevehamilton858]

Best question of the day. How can committing any felony be "legitimate"?

[lasvegasteacher]

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Thursday in an interview with CBS News that he was backing off from the heavy criticism he had leveled at Akin when he, too, was encouraging the nominee to drop out of the race.

The GOP has had a change of heart (and ethics). Once they professed loudly how disgusted they were with Akin's "legitimate rape" comments. Now not so much--it looks like they care more for electing Republicans than electing people who support women's rights.

[stevehamilton858]

It appears that they only care about electing members of their party, and have abandoned any support of decency or morals.

[stevehamilton858]

they care more about electing someone for their party than they care about anything - their shameless behavior goes far beyond the issue of women's rights. They don't give a rat's behind about the good of the country, only about wielding power to make the rich richer, at the expense of anyone who isn't rich - from the middle class (to the extent it still exists) down to people with disabilities, including wounded veterans - and then, to add insult to injury, Mr. Romney in his 47% comment, criticizes those disabled veterans who receive so little compensation that they are below the taxsble income threshold - so they're moochers.