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KBIA's coverage of all the elections going on in mid-Missouri and the nation for 2012.

Rep. Akin: My position on 'earmarks' hasn't changed

Kristofor Husted
/
KBIA

While the tables may be turning for U.S. Rep. Todd Akin as he regains some GOP support in his race for the U.S. Senate, the Democratic Party has filed ethics complaints against the congressman.  At Thursday's campaign stop in Columbia, the congressman remained positive about his campaign but vague about his definition of earmarks.

The complaints -- filed Wednesday -- allege Akin reversed his stance on earmarks to receive money from a Super PAC. Akin says he has never changed his position.

“The thing that makes earmarks tricky is the fact that different people define it in different ways,” he told reporters at Columbia's Republican Headquarters.

Though, when asked for his definition, Akin remained somewhat vague.

“If you want a definition, the Senate has one and when we took a look at that we were very comfortable with that,” he said.

As far as GOP support goes, Akin does seem to have caught a second wind with the help of Newt Gingrich stumping for him at a Missouri fundraiser Monday and public endorsements from Republican senators Rick Santorum and Jim DeMint Wednesday.

Akin says he’s spoken with and received support from Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt who had initially asked Akin to drop out of the Senate race after his controversial comments on pregnancy and rape.

Akin says he hasn’t heard from the National Republican Senatorial Committee – a group that iced out Akin financially after the controversy. According to the news blog The Hill, the group is watching the race closely, though.

Akin is challenging Sen. Claire McCaskill in November.

Kristofor left KBIA in fall of 2021
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