Sen. McCaskill Blasts Todd Akin's Earmark Flip
By: Eli Yokley, Missouri News Horizon
Updated: September 24, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After more than a year on the campaign trail of defending his support of congressional earmarking, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin's campaign said he is supporting a proposal by an influential super PAC that would ultimately ban earmarks.
Akin's campaign told the National Journal on Friday that he has "agreed" to an earmark ban proposed by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's super PAC, Senate Conservatives Fund, after the group raised the possibility of raising money to support his candidacy.
The apparent shift from Akin came after a long primary campaign in which Akin defended earmarks as a firm, constitutional right given to lawmakers.
"There are some that want to get so radical using the flag-waving term earmark that they're going to give away the first article of the Constitution to the executives and the bureaucrats," Akin said during a debate in Branson in January. "For political favor, I'm not going to give up the U.S. Constitution."
The comment is the focus of a new web video from Akin's rival, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCaskill has opposed earmarks since she was elected in 2006.
Erik Dorey, a spokesman for McCaskill, said, "it's shocking that Todd Akin's willing to sell his support for an earmark ban."
In their own statement Friday evening, the Akin campaign said his position on earmarks "has been clear and consistent and is not in conflict with Senator DeMint's ban on earmarks."
Akin's campaign told the National Journal on Friday that he has "agreed" to an earmark ban proposed by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint's super PAC, Senate Conservatives Fund, after the group raised the possibility of raising money to support his candidacy.
The apparent shift from Akin came after a long primary campaign in which Akin defended earmarks as a firm, constitutional right given to lawmakers.
"There are some that want to get so radical using the flag-waving term earmark that they're going to give away the first article of the Constitution to the executives and the bureaucrats," Akin said during a debate in Branson in January. "For political favor, I'm not going to give up the U.S. Constitution."
The comment is the focus of a new web video from Akin's rival, Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCaskill has opposed earmarks since she was elected in 2006.
Erik Dorey, a spokesman for McCaskill, said, "it's shocking that Todd Akin's willing to sell his support for an earmark ban."
In their own statement Friday evening, the Akin campaign said his position on earmarks "has been clear and consistent and is not in conflict with Senator DeMint's ban on earmarks."
