Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK) has a message for the GOP: the party can retake the Senate but only if there are no “foolish” moments.
In an interview with The Hill, Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) ally and often proxy for the Speaker of the House predicted that Senate Republicans could pick up the six seats needed to retake control of the Senate. He cautioned though that Republicans have to “make sure that we don’t do something foolish” that could endanger their chances.
The comment by Cole likely alludes to former Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) whose bid against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) largely collapsed after he said the female body has ways of shutting down a pregnancy if it is the result of “legitimate rape.”
In the early days of the 2014 midterm election cycle the GOP has already taken steps to prevent a repeat of a Todd Akin moment. The National Republican Congressional Committee held meetings with aides to incumbent House Republicans to teach them about “messaging against women opponents.”
