With the clock ticking towards a 5 p.m. Central Time deadline to take his name off the ballot in the U.S. Senate race from Missouri, the silence from national Republicans in support of Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) was deafening over his controversial remarks on "legitimate rape."
Akin released a new television ad on the matter, "Forgiveness," in which he admits that his weekend quote stirred up controversy, but nowhere does he give any hint about getting out of the Missouri Senate race against embattled Democratic Sen. Clare McCaskill.
While some backers of Akin in Missouri expressed their support, Capitol Hill Republicans were deathly quiet, which tells a big story, as GOP leaders look at Akin right now like he is radioactive.
The verbal gaffe gave Democrats a new opening to further hammer home their narrative of a Republican "War on Women," as colleagues of Akin in Congress took dead aim.
"This is not an issue of words, this is an issue of beliefs," said Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), who slammed Akin during a TV interview this morning.
But Democrats weren't the only ones blasting Akin.
"I was totally appalled by Todd Akin's comments about rape," said Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA), who labeled Akin's remarks "offensive and demeaning."
In Washington, GOP press aides were doing nothing to push reporters away from such statements, making clear that party bigwigs want the Missouri Republican to give up the GOP Senate nomination in the Show-Me State.
As of now, Akin seems to have lost the backing of national Republicans and GOP outside groups, who aren't going to give him the benefit of millions of dollars in TV advertising, something that Akin certainly needs in his race against McCaskill.
If Akin doesn't drop out today, he could still seek a court order to have his name removed before a deadline of September 25.
We'll see what happens.
