Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) has launched an online fundraising drive pegged to his pledge not to leave the Missouri Senate race, despite mounting pressure from broad swathes of the Republican and conservative establishment urging him to step down.
A Democratic source sent these screen grabs showing Akin seeking small donations off of his pledge not to drop out of the race, less than 24 hours before his final deadline to do so in a way that would allow Republicans to easily replace him as their nominee against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D).
The ads are appearing on Google and Facebook, according to copies obtained by TPM from a Democratic source.
Akin also sent out a fundraising email Monday night under the subject line “I’m in this to the end.”
“The people from Missouri who elected me know I’m not perfect. They don’t make perfect people. We all make mistakes. When you make a mistake you to tell people you’re sorry, you don’t try and hide it. I made a mistake and I’m sorry,” Akin says in the email. “I have just begun to fight and I’m in this race to the end!”
The Republican campaign establishment, including both the NRSC and the super PAC American Crossroads, has pledged not to spend any money helping Akin win if remains in the Senate contest.
In two radio appearances Monday, Akin pledged to stay in the race, despite calls from multiple elected Republicans to get out, as well as a public rebuke from Mitt Romney.
“To quote my old friend John Paul Jones, ‘I’ve not yet begun to fight,'” Akin told Mike Huckabee’s radio show Monday.
