LEE’S SUMMIT — Republican leaders said Ttdd Akin’s much criticized comment about rape would cost him millions in friendly t-v ads….with G-O-P Pac’s promising to spend no money on his behalf. But as Congressman Akin’s poll numbers remain in striking distance of Senator Claire Mccaskill,the Republican hopeful thinks those threats may be idle.
At a campaign stop at Jackson County G-O-P headquarters in Lee’s Summit, Akin told FOX 4, ” I think a number of them are just going to take a look and say we need 4 seats. Missouri’s an easier one to pick up, put the money where it’s going to get the most, that’s what I believe.”
Political experts on both sides of the aisle agree. Democratic strategist Steve Glorioso says, “if the Akin/McCaskill race is down to 5-6 points whatever ethics these groups claim they have will go out the window in New York second.”
Glorioso says it’ll be easy for outside groups to help in the final stretch because campaign laws make it nearly impossible to track down funding sources.
“Tthere’s a new group that’s been formed in the last 48 hours called American Future. Suspicion is that will be the group that will funnel money into Missouri to run negative ads against Claire McCaskill on behalf of Todd Akin,” Glorioso adds.
Republican strategist Jason Klindt agrees, despite public promises to withhold the checkbook, he suspects Republican Political Action Committees won’t stay on the sidelines come October, “I’m sure that Democrats are going to scream and holler and say they’re being hypocritical but at the end of the day this is about one thing and one thing only, who’s in control of the United States Senate,” he said.
