By Nicholas J.C. Pistor, St. Louis Post-Dispatch –
ST. LOUIS — Last minute money has flowed into Missouri to support Todd Akin’s U.S. Senate campaign with television advertisements despite previous vows by some national groups to boycott the Republican’s campaign.
The Now or Never “super PAC” said on Thursday it increased a recent ad purchase to $1 million on ads for Akin.. The group has produced a commercial seeking to make voters comfortable with Akin. It makes a case that his would be a vote to help institute Mitt Romney’s agenda if Romney becomes president.
“Obviously Todd Akin wasn’t our first choice in this race, but taking control of the Senate ultimately wins out,” said Tyler Harber, spokesman for Now or Never PAC.
Akin’s opponent, incumbent Democrat U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, released her own ad on Thursday showcasing comments from Republicans, including Romney and U.S. Sen. John McCain, demanding that Akin drop out of the Senate race.
Politico reports Akin’s campaign and the Missouri Republican Party are running a $700,000 last-minute ad blitz. The Washington-based newspaper and Web site questioned whether the National Republican Senatorial Committee was behind some of the money. John Cornyn, the NRSC’s chairman, has said the committee wouldn’t provide any money to Akin.
A spokesman for the committee didn’t respond to requests for comment. Neither did the Missouri Republican Party.
Akin has struggled in fundraising since mid-August, when he said in a television interview that the female body can somehow ward off pregnancy after what he called “legitimate rape.”
A recent Post-Dispatch poll showed Akin trailing McCaskill by 2 percentage points. The same poll, soon after Akin’s rape comment, showed McCaskill with a 9-point lead.
