Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) is continuing to display an Alfred E. Neuman-esque lack of concern about his political future, telling reporters on Monday that he's still "totally in" his race to unseat Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.).
On his first day back on Capitol Hill since his controversial and false claim that "legitimate rape" victims are able to "shut down" unwanted pregnancies, Akin maintained that Missouri Republicans were giving him words of encouragement.
"We've already voted. The party bosses want to put anyone else in. Don't you give up; you stay in there and you fight," supporters had told him, according to Politico.
Akin went on to declare that his campaign was going “incredibly well” and said he remained "very encouraged.”
After bypassing a deadline to exit the race without a court order -- despite encouragement and loud objections from a number of high-profile Republicans, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney -- Akin now has until Sept. 25 to get a court-ordered petition to pull out of the race.
But such a move seems unlikely, as Akin reportedly said that recently released polling data suggested that he was still positioned to defeat McCaskill in November.
The congressman also predicted that his campaign would pick up its fundraising numbers after the Sept. 25 deadline passed, and Republicans accepted the fact that he was, in fact, going to be their candidate.
Akin earlier announced that his campaign had raised more than $100,000 in the face of a nationwide backlash for his "legitimate rape" remarks; he reportedly kept up the strong fundraising pace in the following weeks. Though initial rounds of subsequent polling hinted that Akin's candidacy may have been irreparably damaged, recent numbers show the effects of the controversy appearing to wear off, as he now stands neck and neck with McCaskill.
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