It has been, to put it mildly, an eventful week for Rep. Todd "Legitimate Rape" Akin. After his drop-out date for the Senate race passed and national Republicans seemed to be coming around on supporting him again, things looked on the up and up for the embattled candidate. And then he promptly opened his mouth and shot himself in the foot again, saying Sen. Claire McCaskill didn't act "ladylike" and comparing her to a caged animal. This, not surprisingly, led other Republicans to run for cover again and the NRSC, which had been considering supporting him, to again back off. Indeed, John Cornyn had this to say about the MO race:
"I just think that this is not a winnable race," he said. "We have to make tough calculations based on limited resources and where to allocate it, where it will have the best likelihood of electing a Republican senator.
Now, in the end, given the increasingly dire status of the Senate races for the GOP, Cornyn and the NRSC may have no choice but to back Akin if they want to salvage any hopes of a GOP Senate majority. But one can understand his current sentiment. Because it isn't just Akin with the foot in mouth disease; it appears to be contagious and spreading to his campaign in general.
Want proof? Check this out. You might recall Kellyanne Conway (nee Fitzpatrick), one of the conservative blonde fembots who became notorious during the Clinton witch hunts (indeed, her husband George Conway III was one of the infamous "elves" that also included Ann Coulter). Now working as a consultant for the Akin campaign, Conway had this rather interesting comparison to make about her boss and his situation:
"I've expressed this to Todd as my client for a while now, I've expressed it to him directly," Akin consultant Kellyanne Conway said in an interview released today by the conservative Family Research Council. "The first day or two where it was like the Waco with the David Koresh situation where they're trying to smoke him out with the SWAT teams and the helicopters and the bad Nancy Sinatra records. Then here comes day two and you realize the guy's not coming out of the bunker. Listen, Todd has shown his principle to the voters."
Yes, David Koresh. Conway compared her boss to a psychotic cult leader who ended up causing the deaths of 81 people, including 28 children. And this was a
defense?
Needless to say, the Akin campaign was not flattered:
Akin spokesman Ryan Hite has responded with a one-line written statement: "It was a stupid comment to make."
When
the Akin campaign calls a comment "stupid," you know you've committed a major blunder. And sure enough, Conway backtracked, though it didn't do her any favors:
Conway said today that she was not comparing Akin to Koresh, but was rather comparing the GOP leaders who were trying to dislodge Akin to the federal agents in the standoff with Koresh.
"It was about how overbearing the Republicans had been. It was about the tactics being used to force (Akin) out," Conway said. "I wasn't comparing the (two) men...I don't consider David Koresh a man of fortitude. Todd Akin is a man of fortitude."
So in walking back her remarks, she insults the Republicans who cut Akin loose and did everything they could to force him out. You know, Mrs. Conway, maybe you should just stop talking. Indeed, you could follow the
advice that Republicans are giving your boss, which basically boils down to this:
SHUT. THE. HELL. UP.
One example from a GOP strategist:
"He doesn't help himself at all when he - he has the weirdest analogies...He referred to [his rape comments] as a brouhaha. Like really? Brouhaha? I mean, he has weird mannerisms, weird analogies, that are all atrocious."
And from another, who suggested an Akin campaign was best without him "physically being there."
"He's an idiot and everybody knows it," the source continued. "But he's our idiot and he could be helpful to us, but only if they get him under control."
Ringing words of endorsement, aren't they?
But don't expect it, GOP. Neither Akin nor his surrogates seem to have any control and don't seem likely to acquire any anytime soon. And this is the man and campaign the GOP may have to pin their increasingly dim Senate hopes on.
7:14 AM PT: Akin spokesman says that Akin's "doing great" and everything's going according to plan. It makes me wonder what the campaign's version of going off the rails would look like.