"There's far too much extreme, vitriolic attacks," Carmona said on Friday, "and I think the public is tired of that."
Republicans have seen their prospects brighten elsewhere in recent months. And they say they're nimble enough to redirect their resources to achieve maximum effect.
"Missouri is clearly a setback if Congressman Akin chooses to remain in the race," said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brian Walsh. "On the flip side, Republicans still have a number of great opportunities to win back seats in other states across the country."
Wisconsin Republicans have their most viable general-election candidate in former Gov. Tommy Thompson, who edged out three conservatives with closer ties to the tea party in a hard-fought August primary. A CBS-New York Times poll released Thursday showed Thompson 6 points ahead of Rep. Tammy Baldwin, one of the House's most consistent liberals. And GOP enthusiasm may be higher in Wisconsin now that Romney has tapped Ryan, one of the state's congressmen, as his running mate.
To the west, Nevada Rep. Shelley Berkley, the state's Democratic Senate nominee, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. For Berkley, it's an inopportune time for the panel to be examining whether she used her position to benefit her family's financial interests. Berkley has said there was no conflict of interest.
Republicans are also eyeing opportunities in Connecticut, where former wrestling executive Linda McMahon is making a second go at a seat after losing in 2010, and in Florida and Virginia. Those two presidential battlegrounds have competitive Senate races likely to be overshadowed by the deluge of spending by Romney and Obama.
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Associated Press writer Henry C. Jackson contributed.
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Reach Lederman at http://twitter.com/joshledermanAP
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