When Republicans started calling for Todd Akin to bow out of the United States Senate race in Missouri last month, Senator Claire McCaskill, his Democratic opponent, tried to avoid talking about his “legitimate rape†controversy on the campaign trail. But now that the final deadline for Mr. Akin to withdraw has passed, with Mr. Akin locked in as the Republican nominee, she is swinging as expected.
A new television advertisement released by Ms. McCaskill's campaign on Tuesday threw the first punch in what is not likely to be the candidate's last mention of a comment Mr. Akin made in an August television interview that the female body naturally prevents pregnancy in instances of “legitimate rape.⠀
The advertisement flips through a list of Mr. Akin's “own words†on myriad issues - Social Security, Medicare, minimum wage, student loans - ending with a jab that many Democrats have been waiting for since the firestorm began.
“And on Aug. 19, Todd Akin said only some rapes are legitimate,†the 30-second spot said. “What will he say next?â€
The race in Missouri has been one of the most closely watched battles this election cycle, as Ms. McCaskill has shown vulnerabilities in her state and many see it as a crucial seat in the Republicans' effort to take control the Senate.
Mr. Akin's defiance to stay in the race, even after losing the backing and financing of the Republican establishment, now has some Republicans reconsidering their support as high-profile endorsements from within the party emerge.
On Wednesday morning, a former Republican presidential candidate, Rick Santorum, sent an e-mail to suppo rters informing them that he and Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina would announce their endorsement of Mr. Akin's candidacy.
“If Republicans are to win back the Senate and stop President Obama's liberal agenda, we must defeat Senator Claire McCaskill in Missouri,†the statement said. “Her support of President Obama's job-killing, big-spending policies are sending our country into an economic abyss.â€
Calling Mr. Akin a “principled conservative†it continued: “We support Todd Akin and hope freedom-loving Americans in Missouri and around the country will join us so we can save our country from fiscal collapse.â€
Showing his commitment to stay in the race on Tuesday, Mr. Akin began a bus tour across the state this week.
