It's as if the most powerful cardinals in the Catholic Church weighed in against one of their own: The current GOP senator and four prominent former Missouri Republican senators have told Rep. Todd Akin of "legitimate rape" fame to drop out of the race.

In a release from current GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, John Ashcroft, Kit Bond, John Danforth, and Jim Talent joined the dump Akin chorus.

Here's Blunt's release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Roy Blunt called U.S. Representative Todd Akin's recent statements "totally unacceptable" and issued the following joint statement together with former Missouri U.S. Senators John Ashcroft, Kit Bond, John Danforth, and Jim Talent calling for Akin to step aside:

"We do not believe it serves the national interest for Congressman Todd Akin to stay in this race. The issues at stake are too big, and this election is simply too important. The right decision is to step aside."

Some of the four have been suggested as replacements for Akin, running against embattled Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, but none have stepped forward.