Politics

Haley Barbour: Todd Akin ‘won the nomination on a Democratic dirty trick’

Alexis Levinson Political Reporter
Font Size:

TAMPA, Fla. — Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said at a Monday press briefing at the Republican National Convention that Democrats helped Republican Rep. Todd Akin win his party’s nomination for Senate in Missouri.

The GOP Senate candidate generated a furor last week after he said that women rarely get pregnant after a “legitimate rape.”

Akin, all but disavowed by his own party, will not attend this week’s convention, but the turmoil surrounding his comment has followed Republicans there.

“What it oughta do is let people see is that the Democrats – Claire McCaskill and Harry Reid’s PAC put over a million dollars into the Republican primary to try and get this guy nominated,” Barbour said. “And now we see why.”

“This guy won the nomination on a Democratic dirty trick,” he said.

Barbour also told reporters that Mitt Romney should release more of his tax returns, to get rid of another “distraction” for Republicans.

“Whenever the conversation goes back to these issues, Obama’s gonna get re-elected,” Barbour said.

Follow Alexis on Twitter