Clergy Sees Akin Race as Fight for GOP’s ‘Soul’

Rep. Todd Akin’s refusal to quit the Missouri Senate race has brought support from clerics and other conservatives who say the embattled former congressman represents a “battle for the soul of the Republican Party.”

Akin’s uphill campaign, against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill, represents a repudiation of establishment politicians and “a morally flawed approach to politics,” strategist David Lane told The Washington Post.

“People are drawn to Akin’s cause because they see it as the opening battle for the soul of the Republican Party,” Lane said. He has been organizing pastors across the state for Akin.

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At a meeting of clergy in St. Louis over the weekend, nearly 400 pastors prayed over a kneeling Akin as part of its effort to bring him back into contention for the Senate seat.

“What we’re hearing, in county after county, is people saying: ‘We’re on board behind you. We like the idea that you stand up. We want somebody who’s a stand-up guy,’” Akin told The Post.