Did Limbaugh Also Suggest Rep. Akin Withdraw From Senate Race?

It appears conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has joined other conservatives in calling for Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri, to step down over remarks he made on Sunday about “legitimate rape.”

“This is what Todd Akin needs to understand. And that's what he needs to put foremost in his mind. What I think Mr. Akin should try to realize here as he makes his decision is that all of these things that he truly cares about will be much easier to make happen if we win the Senate and the White House and hold the House this November," Limbaugh said during a Tuesday broadcast of “The Rush Limbaugh Show.”

“He must put the nation and its future ahead of everything else that he's considering. And I hope he comes to the right conclusion,” he added.

However, unlike many of the conservatives who have called on Rep. Akin to withdraw, Limbaugh noted that he is uncomfortable with Republican Party's "circular firing squad."

“I have a real problem sitting here and telling this man he has to go,” Limbaugh said. “I don’t want anybody telling me what I have to do with my radio show.”

“On the one hand, here we have a guy, in glorious ineptitude, attempting to defend every conceived life (and, by the way, God bless him for that). On the other hand, we have a party who’s going to have a former president, actually accused of rape, introduce and keynote Barack Obama,” he said, noting the glaring double standard.

Here's the clip via Daily Rushbo:

As mentioned in the above, many prominent conservatives have harshly criticized Rep. Akin and called on him to withdraw from the Missouri senate race.

“Over the next 24 hours, Congressman Akin should carefully consider what is best for him, his family, the Republican Party and the values that he cares about and has fought for throughout his career in public service,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) said in a statement.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said that he "prefer that Todd Akin do the right thing for our party and our candidates" and "not come" to go to the upcoming convention in Tampa, Fla.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) weighed in on the issue and called on Rep. Akin to withdraw: “Todd Akin’s statements are reprehensible and inexcusable. He should step aside today for the good of the nation.”

“If Akin truly loves his country and genuinely wants Roe v. Wade overturned, he will step aside and allow another Republican to run in his place,” writes conservative authoress Ann Coulter.

“As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin’s comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong,” Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA) said. “There is no place in our public discourse for this type of offensive thinking. Not only should he apologize, but I believe Rep. Akin’s statement was so far out of bounds that he should resign the nomination for US Senate in Missouri.”

But Limbaugh suggests that, although his comments are indefensible and wildly absurd, conservatives should also consider what Rep. Akin was trying to defend before forming a “circular firing squad.”

“What did [Rep. Akin] do? He said something that’s stupid. He said something that is incorrect. But all the guy wants to do is save lives. You can call him an idiot. You can call him stupid. But the guy is not evil. He doesn’t want to hurt anybody and I don’t think we can say that about the Democrats. They celebrate 1.3 million abortions every year!” Limbaugh said.

That’s when Limbaugh became fiery.

“You want to talk about stupid? Stupid? How about the economic policies running this country? They are stupid! They’re indefensible and they are stupid. The economic policies led by this administration: They are indefensible, and they are stupid, and they are causing real damage, and real harm, to real people,” he said.

As for Rep. Akin, it looks like none of the calls or even hints for him to drop out have had an affect. He told Mike Huckabee today he's staying in the race.

(H/T: Daily Rushbo & Ace of Spades)