Rep. Todd Akin makes campaign stops in southeast Missouri - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff

Rep. Todd Akin makes campaign stops in southeast Missouri

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Todd Akin in Poplar Bluff. Todd Akin in Poplar Bluff.

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POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) -

Missouri Representative Todd Akin was making stops in southeast Missouri Friday as he continues his bid for Claire McCaskill's Senate seat.

Rep. Akin made his first stop at the Gamma Lab Conference Center in Poplar Bluff at 9 a.m.

This comes several weeks after the Butler County Central Committee passed a resolution asking him to step aside and get off of the ballot.

However, Rep. Akin's supporters came out to listen to their candidate.

The candidate said his admittedly inappropriate comments about legitimate rape dropped him into a hurricane. It also caused him to lose ground against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill.

Rep. Akin is six points behind Sen. McCaskill according to the latest Rasmussen Poll.

However, Akin says he can, and will win the race. He pointed to his pro-life, pro-gun record and Sen. McCaskill's support of "Obama Care."

As a member of the house Armed Services Committee, he said the U.S. needs to take a strong stand against the embassy attacks in Libya.

"We should have been planning and we should have a consistent foreign policy," said Rep. Akin.  "There's one thing that people, even if they're thugs and they hate us irrationally, there's one thing they respect, is, that's strength. We didn't have any Marines at that embassy. And the question is, were we prepared and had we've been consistent in the statements and things we have said?"

Next, Rep. Akin will stop in Dexter at the Hickory Log restaurant at 11 a.m. before stopping at the Sikeston Republican headquarters at 1:30 p.m.  

Rep. Akin will appear at the Dexter Bar-B-Que in Cape Girardeau at 3:30 p.m. Then, the candidate will make a stop at the SEMO District Fair at the GOP tent.

Rep. Akin returned to the campaign trail after controversial statements he made regarding abortion rights for rape victims, asserting that women's bodies could avert pregnancies in cases of "legitimate rape."

Akin has apologized for those statements and has vowed to stay in the race.  

Akin's campaign received a boost Tuesday after the Missouri Farm Bureau reaffirmed its support for his candidacy.  

Sen. Claire McCaskill's campaign was endorsed this week by the International Association of Firefighters and the Fraternal Order of Police.

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