(Shhhhh! Don't say that!)

Well, it looks like Todd Akin has decided to stay in the race.  Congratulations, Senator McCaskill, your chances of winning just more than doubled!

The Republican reaction to this has been a real, live, sit-down, popcorn worthy game show.

First, Bryan Fischer of the American Family Association doubled down on the Stupid the other day.

Then,

"We do not believe it serves the national interest for Congressman Todd Akin to stay in this race," said the statement by Sen. Roy Blunt and former senators Danforth, Bond, John Ashcroft and Jim Talent. "The issues at stake are too big, and this election is simply too important. The right decision is to step aside."

or

"We continue to hope that Congressman Akin will do the right thing for the values he holds dear, but there should be no mistake -- if he continues with this misguided campaign, it will be without the support and resources of the NRSC," said a statement by communications director Brian Walsh." 

But,

 His decision won support from the Missouri Republican Assembly, which issued a statement urging the party to back Akin in the battle against McCaskill. 

"The Republican leadership needs to grow a spine and disallow the Democrats, who always support their candidates even when they are wrong, to dictate our stance," the group's statement said. "... While Todd may have been indiscreet in his word choice, he was not wrong in his facts. Todd can win despite this misstep. All Republicans will lose if they continue throwing their candidates under the bus because of a poor word choice."

 Additionally, Family Research Council's Connie Mackey is also defending Akin.

"This is another case of 'gotcha politics' against a conservative leader. Todd Akin has a long and distinguished record of defending women, children and families..."

 So, why the mixed messages?  Can't they make up their minds?

Oh, they have!

“Faithful to the ‘self-evident’ truths enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, we assert the sanctity of human life and affirm that the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections apply to unborn children.”

That's a draft of the 2012 Republican Party Platform due to be accepted next week in Tampa.   (emphasis mine)

So, why aren't they just supporting the man, since his position is completely in line with the Party Platform?

Because the marginally more intelligent of the Republicans out there realize that the American people have already made up their minds about abortion, and they are on the wrong side.  So, they know that Akin's comments, while reflecting not only the Party Platform, but the considered opinions of such religious luminaries as Bryan Fischer, are complete and utter poison to Republicans' chances of winning this election.

So, really, they'd just rather this whole thing disappear down a rabbit hole.