Embattled Rep. Todd Akin this morning says he's in the U.S. Senate race to stay. In a nationally broadcast interview Akin has said "this is not about my ego" but about the voters of Missouri who chose him as their nominee.
Akin also says in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America" that he’s not apologizing for the fact that I'm pro-life. He also appeared on NBC's "Today" show.
The congressman confirms that Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan called him personally to ask that he step aside in the wake of the searing controversy surrounding his comments about abortion.
He says he told Ryan that he was thinking things over and wants to "do what's right." But he also says he's not abandoning his race, arguing that"I'm planning to win it."
Akin has been under constant pressure since Sunday to drop out over comments he made that victims of “legitimate rape” cannot get pregnant. He has apologized in statements and in a new ad.
The deadline for Akin to get out of the race against Claire McCaskill without a court order passed at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
On Sean Hannity’s syndicated show Tuesday afternoon, Akin accused Mitt Romney of making a bigger deal of the issue than he needed to, telling him to “run his own race.”
“My decision is to stay in this race and take to the people of Missouri the things that have made this a great country, to contrast the difference between me and my opponent, and to reclaim our God-given values," Akin said.
Akin acknowledges it was a mistake for him to refer to "legitimate" rapes but says he's apologized for that and that the voters of Missouri knew they weren't getting a "perfect" candidate.
