According to Politico, Republican pressure on Todd Akin to withdraw will continue to intensify:

Rob Jesmer, executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, underscored that effort in a private email to Senate chiefs of staff earlier this week, urging them to “keep up the pressure over the next several weeks.” One method, he suggested, was if senators publicly pressure Akin to step aside or directly lobby Akin and his son Perry Akin, who is his campaign manager.

One way to do this is for members to call or email Todd directly and explain to him that every movement is bigger than one person, and that for the good of all that he believes and has fought for, it is important that he step aside,” Jesmer wrote in the email obtained by POLITICO

But there’s more:

… Persistent chatter among Missouri political operatives is the possibility that Akin cuts a deal with Ann Wagner – who is running for the House seat he is vacating. The idea: allow Akin to continue serving in Congress so he can keep his seat and give Wagner a chance to take on McCaskill. Wagner didn’t rule out the possibility of a Senate run in a Thursday statement that criticized Akin’s comments.

The Politico article also floats a few other names of potential replacements, notably, for the first time I’ve seen it, that of Jo Ann Emerson, along with (ho-hum) John Brunner and Sarah Steelman. But it’s really tthe idea of switching races with Wagner that raises such a nauseating stench. First they tell us that Akin’s so befouled himself that the GOP presidential candidate himself has to implore him (Akin) to step down. Just about every GOP pol in the country has expressed the same, apparently requisite, horror and outrage. But when all’s said and done, they’re still willing to let ol’ Todd run for the House of Representatives?  

It’s nasty, but, from the point of view of pragmatic politics, I suppose it’s understandable.  Akin winning or loosing a race for a seat in what will probably remain a GOP-dominated House, no matter what, won’t hurt the party’s ambitions nearly as much as letting him stall the GOP drive to take back the Senate. So, if we can believe Politico, Official GOPdom may be willing to cut their losses and make peace with the obdurate Akin. The only people who would lose should this deal come to pass would a few odd souls who care about good government more than they care about the election prospects of the Republican party.