Did Vince Lombardi, the famous coach of the Green Bay Packers, really say “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing?” He denied it, but the quote (and the attribution) has stuck So, too, has its implications. The foremost of these is that some folks in some situations will do anything to win, no matter what.

Which bring us to the case of Rep. Todd Akin, currently running on the Republican ticket for a senate seat in Missouri. It was supposed to be a shoe-in for the Republicans in Missouri this year because of the conservative bent of most of that state’s voters, and the fact that the present holder of this seat, Sen. Claire McCaskill, is not very popular.

Then Akin, who won the Republican senate primary. made his notorious remark about women and rape, one that offended so many people that virtually the entire Republican establishment, including Romney and Ryan, asked him in no uncertain terms to drop out of the race. He didn’t. And now…

According to news reports, money from various Republican-friendly super-PACs is beginning to flow back into his campaign. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has also just indicated it might spend campaign money on his behalf.

Tawdry decisions? How could anyone think otherwise? You publicly castigate a candidate for something he did, tell him to quite a race, and when he won’t you back him anyway.

Beyond tawdry there’s a hint of desperation here. The 2010 election year that belonged to the Tea Party was supposed to carry over to 2012. Except it’s not. And a once Grand Old Party is now forced do a Vince Lombardi with the likes of Todd Akin in hopes of winning a senate majority — no matter what.

How has the once mighty (and honorable) G.O.P fallen.