Akin: GOP Establishment Should Stay Away From Primary Meddling

The Republican establishment should avoid trying to dictate a winner for party primaries, says failed Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin.

Akin, who lost his race last year after controversial comments about rape and abortion, has taken major hits since then. GOP strategist Karl Rove recently started Conservative Victory Project, a super PAC aimed at preventing candidates like Akin from winning primaries.

The former House member doesn’t have much respect for the new Rove group, telling The Hill its name is “misleading.” Akin says it “is trying to get rid of conservatives, which is very thinly disguised.”

These kinds of efforts aren’t wise, Akin says. “It may be another example of big-government conservatism, to try to bypass primaries,” he said. “If they were successful, it basically helps kill the grassroots heart of the party. I think it’s very non-constructive.”

The sentiment of Rove and others runs against rank-and-file voters, Akin says. “I think people are going to be wise to that attempt to bypass primary elections. To me, I think that’s tremendously disrespectful to the grassroots Republican primary voters.”

Akin says he’s not upset at the heat he’s taken from some fellow Republicans. “It’s not a personal thing to me at this point. I’ve sort of grown up and moved along,” he said. “We try to do the best things that we can for our nation, and if we take a couple of shots along the way, that’s ok.”