Tagged: todd akin

Few issues have generated as much passion and attention recently as health care. Like many Democrats and Republicans around the nation, Missouri's U.S. Senate candidates are on opposites sides of the issue.

Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill supports and defends the health care law signed in 2010 by President Barack Obama. Her Republican challenger, congressman Todd Akin, wants to repeal it.

But there may be at least some middle ground.

Missouri Rep. Todd Akin has backed millions of dollars in pet projects in recent years. He even proudly defended one for military armor during a television ad in his Republican Senate primary.

Now Akin has aligned himself with a group that wants to ban home-state spending items known as earmarks. And the membership of the Senate Conservatives Fund has pledged $290,000 to help finance his cash-strapped campaign against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Akin denies that it's a reversal and rejects any assertion of a quid pro quo for campaign cash.

Remember those old sayings about not talking religion and politics? Well, this week's faith and values update has both. We’re looking at the faith angle of Republican Congressman Todd Akin’s campaign.

Akin has been criticized since he made a comment about what he called “legitimate rape,” which he later apologized for. He recently made the news again for saying his opponent in the Senate race, Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, was more “ladylike” in a previous campaign.

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.