Will Akin distract Romney/Ryan's pre RNC week?

[Torie]

If you haven't heard, GOP MO Sen nominee Todd Aiken said something really stupid about rape and abortion over the weekend, noting that victims of "legitimate rape" don't get pregnant due to some mumbo jumbo about women's bodies rejecting rape sperm or something.

Anyway Romney/Ryan campaign condemned the remark, but is that the end of it? In their comments the campaign said that Romney/Ryan were not against abortion in the case of rape. However, Ryan actually has been against the rape exception in the past and he co-sponsored legislation with Aiken which tried to redefine rape (to just "forcible rape"). Ryan is also a co-sponsor of the "Sanctity of Human Life Act", which gives "all the legal and constitutional attributes of personhood" to fertilized eggs (essentially outlawing all abortions and some forms of birth control and in vitro fertilization).

This thing could end up as a big distraction between now and the RNC with ROmney/Ryan spending a week talking about abortion, rape, IVF, Personhood, etc. Things that they probably don't want to be talking about. You can bet the Dems are going to use this opportunity to try and run up the score on their gender gap.

Looks like Akin's out.

Erick Erickson, the head of RedState, has just tweeted this.

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Will be interesting to see if this is true.

This proves beyond per adventure that there is in fact a God.

[Torie]

It is things like this that are the reason why I detest Mike Huckabee.

Another reason is that he is as boring as hell.

[Torie]

The Republican response to this incident is encouraging, but does Akin have any real incentive to withdraw? I mean, if he does, his political career is effectively over. Why not stick it out and force Missouri Republicans to eat his dog food?

 Because he will be cut off from money, and humiliated, and won't be able to get much a job going forward anywhere, except maybe from Democrats. Unless he is psychotic or an egomaniac, he's out.  Granted it is not as if I am free from doubt about his mental health, but I digress. 

[Torie]

Romney did get closer to calling for a withdrawal, but didnt actually call for it in interview saying
""He should spend 24 hours considering what will best help the country at this critical time,"

Does this mean that if Akin doesnt drop out on Tuesday, Romney will then explicitly call for him to step down?

Nobody can get near this guy running for office.