(Credit: CBS/AP/Getty)
(CBS News) Mitt Romney on Tuesday stepped up his criticism of Republican Rep. Todd Akin and called on the congressman to drop out of the Missouri Senate race because of his recent, controversial remarks on rape and abortion.
"As I said yesterday, Todd Akin's comments were offensive and wrong and he should very seriously consider what course would be in the best interest of our country," Romney said in a statement. "Today, his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside, and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race."
Romney's statement came after Republican Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri released a joint statement with four former Republican Missouri senators calling on Akin to step aside.
"We do not believe it serves the national interest for Congressman Todd Akin to stay in this race," the Missouri politicians said. "The issues at stake are too big, and this election is simply too important. The right decision is to step aside."
The six-term conservative congressman has come under fire since suggesting in an interview Sunday that women couldn't get pregnant from rape.
"It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," Akin said when asked whether he would support abortions for rape victims. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said of a rape victim's chances of becoming pregnant.
In spite of widespread calls from within the GOP for Akin to drop out of the competitive race against Democrat Claire McCaskill, Akin so far insists he's not quitting.
