Mike Kelley, a co-host on KMOX’s Hancock and Kelley show with John Hancock, recently called Sen. Claire McCaskill “the smartest politician I ever worked with.”
McCaskill’s astuteness is looking downright amazing following her strategy to help Congressman Todd Akin win the Republican nomination for Senate.
Through financing commercials depicting him as “too conservative” for even Missouri, she helped him overtake John Brunner in the primary and hold off Sarah Steelman.
The day following the August 7 primary, McCaskill went on the attack with a new series of ads targeting Akin’s far-right views on issues including student loans.
Akin has now pulled a monumental gaffe and thrown the entire race into turmoil with his remarks on rape and abortion that aired Sunday on KTVI-TV FOX 2’s Jaco Report.
"If it's a legitimate rape," Akin said, "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."
Akin might have just shut his entire campaign down. He also called pregnancies caused by rape “pretty rare.”
Comments this alarming are pretty rare.
McCaskill got the guy she wanted to run against, and he might have delivered the race to her with his odd and insulting thoughts on the crime of rape and its possible result.
Many conservatives in Missouri, and nationwide, want Akin to withdraw from the race.
Mitt Romney, who is scheduled to accept the Republican nomination for president next Thursday in Tampa, Fla., immediately rebuked Akin's comments, joining a chorus of conservatives condemning Akin's words.
I doubt Romney and Akin will be seen together on stage at any public events between now and Election Day.
McCaskill condemned Akin, but of course she wants him to remain in the race.
McCaskill has momentum, something she had been without since at least 2006. The political world will know by 5 p.m. today (Tuesday) if Akin steps down.
After that, he could still give up the nomination but it would have to come with a court order.
Commentary by Alvin Reid
