Republicans distancing themselves from Todd Akin is so two months ago

Shhhh ... Remember that one time when whackadoodle Todd Akin (R-of course) explained that women have magic lady parts that can detect rape sperm and "shut that whole thing down" to prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape"? And remember how all those Republican men who agree with him pretended not to agree with him and were all, like, "What? No! That's crazy! That's offensive! Screw that Todd Akin guy! No more money for him!"

Yeah. Well. About that:

Rep. Todd Akin and the Missouri Republican Party are launching a nearly $700,000 TV ad blitz in the closing days of his challenge to Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, but the source of the funds for the effort is unclear. [...]

The National Republican Senatorial Committee declined repeatedly to comment on whether it is the source of the funds being used by the Missouri GOP on Akin's behalf. Previously, the committee has insisted it would stay out of the race.

Two months ago'and about half a dozen unbelievably stupid Republican comments about rape ago'Republicans were taking the oh-so-bold stand of trying to excommunicate Akin from the party. They condemned him, demanded he apologize, and even tried to get him to drop out of the Senate race. And of course, most importantly, they cut off money to his campaign:

In an interview in September, Cornyn adamantly insisted the NRSC would not be involved at all in the Missouri race if Akin stayed in as the GOP candidate.
'We're done,' Cornyn told POLITICO.

But with a once-promising Senate landscape having shifted against the Republicans, they may have changed their stance on an Akin boycott. The NRSC would not have to disclose any such transfer to the Missouri GOP until after Election Day, limiting any fallout for Cornyn if he reversed himself.

But that was two months ago, when faux outrage and empty threats were convenient. Before the party was stuck with Akin. Before it became so obvious that Republicans couldn't afford to distance themselves from every candidate who says something offensive about rape, on account of how they can't stop talking about rape. That's why when Richard Mourdock, the Senate candidate in Indiana, explained that rape babies are a gift from God, Republicans weren't quite so quick to distance themselves, as they had been with Akin.

Mitt Romney really demonstrated his profile in lack of courage by saying that what Mourdock said was offensive, but hey, that's no reason not to continue supporting his campaign. The rest of the party also excused Mourdock's comment and insisted it was merely those danged Democrats playing politics.  

So it's not exactly surprising that oh-so-faux-offended Republicans are done pretending to be offended and just might be willing to slip some money to Akin on the down low. After all, it's not like they really disagreed with him in the first place. If they had, they wouldn't have adopted his position into the official Republican Party platform.

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11:24 AM PT: And wow is that money well spent. Check out Akin's new ad, featuring a woman who claims she was raped and had an abortion, but thinks Akin is the very bestest, plus another woman who came here from Russia and also thinks Akin is the bestest because Akin will make sure to keep America from turning into Russia and will also uphold rape victims' freedom to be forced to carry their rapists' babies to term because freedom.

Absolutely disgusting. And absolutely par for the course for the Republican Party.