Slideshow: Election 2012

Rep. Todd Akin, GOP candidate for the Missouri Senate, recently famous for his "legitimate rape" comments told NBC News that he's "totally in" and has no plans on dropping out of the Missouri Senate race despite many calls from leading Republicans to do so.

A cheerfully upbeat Akin said that internal polls conducted by his campaign showed a close race, one that he was "confident" he could win.

When asked whether the loss of national money from the Republican National Committee and right leaning Super PACs would hurt him, Akin responded, "people don't like the party bosses telling them to put somebody in after they have already elected somebody." He continued, "Everywhere I go, people come up to me and say keep up the fight, so I'm serving them."

Akin then drove his late 90s Ford Explorer off the Capitol grounds, on the rear bumper was a sticker "One Nation Under God" with an American flag.

Missouri Rep. Todd Akin again rejected dropping out of the Missouri Senate rate amid Republican fears that he's become too politically toxic to win. 

"We're going to be here through the November election, and we're going to be here to win," Akin said at a press conference in Missouri arranged on short notice. 

The conservative congressman has been under fire since last Sunday, when he said on a public affairs show that "legitimate rape" rarely leads to pregnancy. For that comment, Akin has apologized, but virtually the entire Republican leadership — including presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney — have urged Akin to step aside, and allow Republicans to name a different candidate for Senate.

Akin has spent the past few days in Tampa, the site of the forthcoming Republican National Convention, rallying social conservative leaders behind his flailing candidacy. 

"Our position on him and his candidacy has not changed," Tony Perkins, of the socially conservative Family Research Council, said Thursday on MSNBC.  "He has a very difficult road ahead of him, and I think he's still pondering his decision as to what he does, although at this point, he said he's going to stay in."

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a prominent supporter of Akin's in a hard-fought, three-way primary, also came to the congressman's defense. 

"Who ordered this "Code Red" on Akin?" Huckabee asked supporters in an email on Thursday. "If Todd Akin loses the Senate seat, I will not blame Todd Akin … I'm waiting for the apology from whoever the genius was on the high pedestals of our party who thought it wise to not only shoot our wounded, but run over him with tanks and trucks and then feed his body to the liberal wolves."

The Missouri Senate race is crucial to Republicans' hopes of winning back the Senate. Incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill had been seen as vulnerable, though she's seen as having a political advantage after Akin's comments. She has refused to address the controversy over Akin's campaign fortunes, saying only that she expects to face him as her general election opponent. 

Akin could still drop out by Sept. 25, allowing the state GOP to name a replacement. Akin would have to ask a court to remove his name from the ballot in that instance, and pay for the cost of reprinting the ballots. 

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – One day after Rep. Todd Akin vowed to stay in the race for US Senate, dismissing calls from across the Republican party to step aside, Sen. Claire McCaskill welcomed Akin back to the campaign by bashing him for abandoning veterans during his years in Congress.

 Visiting two VFW halls near St. Louis on Wednesday, McCaskill, the Democrat Akin is hoping to unseat here in Missouri, went through a list of Akin votes that took more than two minutes to recite.

 Audiences were mostly male and senior citizen.  Survivors of combat in Vietnam – and at least one World War II veteran – looked on beneath baseball caps decorated with military insignia as she accused Akin of blocking bonuses for troops stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and voting against health care benefits for reservists and national guard members.

 “So that’s kind of the list,” McCaskill said of Akin’s voting record.  “Now, I don’t have a list like that."

 The attack did not include any mention of the recent controversy embroiling Akin.

 Sunday, Akin told a television interviewer that women could biologically prevent pregnancies resulting from what he called “legitimate rape.” 

 The remarks set off a firestorm, but Wednesday McCaskill only alluded to them broadly.

 During a press conference outside a VFW home in nearby Overland, McCaskill brushed aside questions about Akin’s future.

 “The voters have spoken, and he’s the nominee,” McCaskill said.

 “We’re going to draw the contrasts that I think are necessary so that voters know that he’s outside the mainstream, he’s very extreme,” she added later.

 Tuesday, Akin let a deadline for withdrawing from the Senate race pass.

 He told NBC’s Matt Lauer during a Wednesday interview on the TODAY show that his nomination was a “decision made by the citizens of our state, not the party bosses.”

 McCaskill’s VFW visits were part of a so-called “Vets for Claire” listening tour that the campaign says was arranged prior to the Akin controversy.

 A VFW official in Overland asked reporters to hold McCaskill’s press conference outside the building, in order to keep the organization compliant with rules prohibiting political activity by 501(c)(3) charity groups.

Updated 6:12 p.m. - Rep. Todd Akin (R) did not step aside as the Republican Senate nominee in Missouri, allowing a key preliminary deadline to end his candidacy to come and go.

Akin, who's faced growing clamor from fellow Republicans to end his candidacy amid an uproar over his weekend comments about rape, said he believes it is important for him to press forward with his campaign against incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.

"I want to make one thing absolutely clear: we are going to continue with this race," Akin said on the radio show of Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and Senate candidate.

"I've had a chance now to run through a primary. And the party people said that when you run through a primary, we'll be with you."

Akin had until 5 p.m. CST today to resign his Senate nomination without facing any procedural difficulties. He could still withdraw by Sept. 25, though he would have to petition a court to remove his name from the ballot, and have to pay costs associated with reprinting the ballots.

National Republicans have undertaken efforts to force the six-term congressman from the race. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has canceled its advertising reservations, and a pro-Republican super PAC has said it no longer plans to invest in the campaign, either. Top Republican senators have also canceled a planned fundraiser for Akin on Sept. 19.

Akin said he'd seen an influx of small-dollar donations since the initial uproar emerged on Sunday, and he said he'd received supportive calls from other colleagues in Congress, though he did not say who.

More significantly, national Republicans have begun openly agitating for Akin's ouster. Missouri's past five Republican senators released a joint statement today saying "the right decision is to step aside."

Orlin Wagner / AP

Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., talks with reporters while attending the Governor's Ham Breakfast at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia, Mo.

Akin's controversy stems from comments he made last weekend on "The Jaco Report" on KTVI FOX 2 News, on which he said "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy in victims. Akin has since apologized, and said he was mistaken to assert that rape culdn't result in pregnancy. He released a television ad to that effect this morning.

Republicans had high hopes of beating McCaskill before Akin made his comments over the weekend. But the congressman's persistence in the race could jeopardize the GOP's chances in this key race, which provides one of their best opportunities to achieve the net gain of four seats Republicans need this fall to take control of the Senate in the next Congress.

Updated 10:53 a.m. - Mitt Romney called a Missouri Republican's comments this weekend about rape "inexcusable," calling on Rep. Todd Akin to "correct" his remarks.

"Congressman’s Akin comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong,” Romney told the conservative National Review Online. “Like millions of other Americans, we found them to be offensive.”

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee joined a growing chorus of Republicans in condemning Akin's comments Sunday that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy for victims.

"I have an entirely different view," Romney told NRO of Akin's remarks. “What he said is entirely without merit and he should correct it."

Akin's comments threaten to shake up his effort to unseat incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill this fall. That race is a key stepping stone in Republicans' effort to achieve the net gain of four seats they need to retake control of the Senate.

The controversy has already sparked national reverberations, however. Romney has lagged versus Obama with women voters, according to polls; his comments this morning follow on a spokeswoman's comments on Sunday quickly distancing Romney and presumptive Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan from Akin. (Ryan, Democrats note, did co-sponsor with Akin a bill that would have redefined rape under portions of law.)

Evan Vucci / AP

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney arrives at Hyannis-Barnstable Municipal airport on Aug. 18.

Other Republicans have similarly denounced Akin.

Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown (R) called on Akin to resign his Senate nomination.

"While Congressman Akin may have addressed his statement, like many men and women I strongly disapprove of his original comments — and the sentiments behind them," said former Virginia Sen. George Allen (R), who's trying to reclaim his old seat this fall.

Updated 8:55 p.m. — A Republican Senate nominee found himself in hot water on Sunday for suggesting that instances of "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy. 

Rep. Todd Akin, a Republican who's locked in a hard-fought campaign in Missouri to unseat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, was answering a question regarding his position on abortion rights in instances when a woman is a victim of rape. 

"People always want to make it into one of those things — well, how do you slice this particularly tough ethical question," Akin said in an interview on KTVI-TV, video of which was circulated by the Democratic super PAC American Bridge. 

“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said. 

Regarding his opinion on whether to allow for an abortion in such instances, Akin added: “But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

Akin's comments had an almost immediate impact on Missouri's Senate race. McCaskill wrote on Twitter:

In a statement, Akin said that he had misspoken. 

"In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year," he said.

Akin emerged earlier this month from a tough three-way primary in Missouri, where he rallied social conservatives behind his candidacy. Democrats actually spent during that primary to help Akin win, viewing the six-term congressman as a less formidable challenger in the general election. 

McCaskill, who was first elected in 2006, has become a top target for Republicans this fall, given President Barack Obama's unpopularity in the state and successive statewide victories for the GOP. 

Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney's campaign issued a statement disagreeing with Akin. 

"Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul.

Republicans need a net gain of four seats this fall in order to take over the Senate in the next Congress, and Democrats must defend 23 seats this fall. But unexpected Republican retirements and races that have become more competitive than expected have boosted Democratic hopes of maintaining their majority. 

Missouri Congressman Todd Akin thanked "God our Creator" for blessing his campaign in a victory speech. With about 91 percent of precincts reporting, Akin had 36 percent of the vote, St. Louis businessman John Brunner about 30 percent and former state Senator Sarah Steelman 29 percent.

"The choice is clear in November," Akin said in a statement on Tuesday night. "The big spending, budget-busting, job-killing liberal or the less spending, balanced budget, job-creating conservative."

McCaskill, who is struggling in a state that has gone increasingly Republican after being a bellwether in presidential elections for a century, wasted no time in responding.

"Throughout the primary campaign, Akin repeatedly gave voice to positions that show how extreme he is, and how willing he would be to throw middle-class families under the bus to protect tax breaks for the mega-wealthy and tax giveaways to Big Oil," McCaskill said in a statement.

McCaskill's support of Democratic President Barack Obama's healthcare reform has hurt her, said Steve Glorioso, a political consultant who has worked on past McCaskill campaigns.

Brunner had never run for political office and bankrolled his own campaign to join a string of conservative newcomers who have challenged established Republicans but Brunner came up short.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., joins Morning Joe to discuss the challenge she faces in keeping her Senate seat in Missouri and the Paycheck Fairness Act. The legislation is aimed at closing the wage gap between men and women, and the Senate is set to vote on it Tuesday.

Sen. McCaskill:

This is not like an exotic idea. This is, I thin, common sense. That we want to try to level the playing field in the workplace and if someone is unfairly being paid less for the same work, we want them to have the opportunity to write that wrong. All three of my opponents are pretty extreme. They want to come and join the Tea Party caucus. All three of my opponents have come out against this, saying that this is not necessary, that this is not a problem. Well, if it’s not a problem, I don’t think they’ve been paying attention.