"[I]f they lose the Senate majority, they’ll have only themselves to blame”

National Republicans say there is no chance they will return to the race, noting that GOP officeholders in Missouri have declined to campaign with Akin and that the NRSC has even canceled $3 million in reserved ad time in the state…

“Todd is in the race. That’s a fact,” said Rick Tyler, an Akin adviser. “They can either help or they can continue to abandon the race. And if they lose the Senate majority, they’ll have only themselves to blame.”…

The campaign indicated Akin will announce next week that he has accepted invitations to debate after Sept. 25 — a renewed public statement of his intention to remain in the race.

But the division in Missouri is deep. Even the Missouri delegation at the Republican convention in Tampa expressed uncertainty. Some Missouri delegates wore “Akin for Senate” stickers as a sign of support, while others spoke openly about the shame he had brought the delegation.

“It was bad at home, it was bad on the road, it was bad at the airport, and it’s bad here,” said Kay Hoflander, a Missouri delegate at large.