Posted on 08/21/2012 8:14:12 PM PDT by randita
They phoned. They wrote. They rebuked him publicly from coast to coast. They cut off funding and support.
Yet Republican U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin didn’t cave. He refused to withdraw by the initial 5 p.m. Tuesday deadline, sticking with his November race against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill.
His choice means women’s health and abortion remain top issues, causing a debate the GOP had hoped to avoid.
Akin, who says he misspoke when he said “legitimate rape” victims can prevent pregnancy, has a long voting record against abortion in any circumstance.
Akin also is in line with U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, with whom he co-sponsored abortion legislation, in favoring an amendment providing rights to fetuses at the moment of conception. This effectively stops all abortions, including in the cases of rape or incest.
For Republicans objecting to Akin’s misstatements, it gets more complicated at their national convention next week when the final party platform is adopted.
Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney and now-running mate Ryan are on record in support of abortion in cases of rape. Yet, the proposed platform espouses the no-exceptions position held by Akin. In addition, Romney’s positions on abortion have ranged from an early pro-choice posture to the current promises to defund Planned Parenthood and ban abortions.
President Barack Obama clearly stated the difference this week. For him, a rape is a rape. And in a welcome addition, he said it’s wrong for predominantly male lawmakers to make these kinds of health care decisions for women.
Amen.
While the anti-government, free-the-individual GOP often argues against government interference, they are all in for government control and limited access on abortion and birth control.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
I got news for you, kid.
You myopic so-cons are far from being the base of the party.
Why should the nation risk the certainty of financial disaster just because you people can’t see past the end of your sanctimonious schnozzes?
It takes the SCOTUS about 80-90 years to correct a prior bad decision. Dred Scott v. US and Plessy v. Ferguson for sterling examples, weren’t fixed for decades.
Roe, too will eventually be fixed, but not in the next several terms of several presidents.
So get off the high horse.
He is running a stellar campaign that is one of the best I have seen in a long time.
One Senator out of 100 is not going to have the same effect as TOTUS.
If Akin had just said he is for protecting babies as a result of rape, he would be a US Senator after November.
But the reason he is a dumb azz politician is that he spouted something like “Women victims of rape almost never can get pregnant.” He deserves the scorn from every one.
Tell that to families being foreclosed on, people who lose jobs, or businessmen who’ve gone bankrupt.
Abortion is murder, a national tragedy, but it ain’t the end=all or be=all this time around.
When will you so-cons let the grown-ups in the room handle this stuff?
You mean “grass-smoking” support don’t you?
You’d have to be STONED on some really good kill to think that jagoff Akin has a snowball’s chance in Hell.
I hope Palin’s pick runs as an independant-—It’s the only chance we have. Why is it that when one Republican misspeaks, he is speaking for all REpubs, but when Maxine Waters or any loony Dem says something, they are on their own? No reflection on their party. They even campaign for them,
Zer0 is an Islamist. Count on it. Take it to the bank.
I’ll interfere in any state’s business I want to.
Got it?
And there ain’t a damn thing you can do about it.
BTW, read your profile...
Social issues more important than national security and defense?
Okay, you’ve convinced me that you’re a nut.
I wish you were right, but the reality is the pro-death abortion crowd will never ever relinquish their “choice” mantra. They would rather have billions of children killed via abortion than to have the choice to exterminate one’s own offspring removed. Words cannot describe the appalling nature of choice over child.
“Also, to do so will alienate SOCON Republicans here in Missouri.”
I am a social conservative and Akin is a disgrace to the cause with his incoherent rantings. He is totally inept and unelectable. It is time for one of the other candidates who are also pro-life take the mantel and run. He has alienated many pro-life people because of his abject stupidity.
“All the Libs are focusing on this, not the loss of jobs (One million less jobs since Obma took over), Fast and Furious (What is Obama hiding behind Executive Privelege?), Unemployment at 8.3% and increasing, Biden’s racially ignorant statements (Without any apologies) and Janet Napolitano being sued for sexual discrimination. No surprises here.”
This controversy is destined to become the “McGuffin” of 2012...
(with apologies to Mr. Hitchcock...)
being able to clearly articulate a position is a requisite skill to be a U.S. senator one would think. akin doesn’t have it.
Palin is pushing Steelman to a 3rd party ticket.
It’s the only real option.
A write in won’t work.
Bottom line is if Akin loses it was all Akin.
The liberal media rules!
The liberal media says “conservatives and pro-lifers, you must jump!”
And they say: “How high oh great ones?”
The liberal media rules!
The liberal media says “conservatives and pro-lifers, you must jump!”
And they say: “How high oh great ones?”
So who are the light weights?
“It is TIME for the GOP to either support moral/social issues important to the SOCON base, or rightfully alienate moral/social conservatives forever”
The GOP is not interested in the conservative base. They are only interested in pushing the party further to the left.
“It is TIME for the GOP to either support moral/social issues important to the SOCON base, or rightfully alienate moral/social conservatives forever. This “back of the bus” nonsense is REALLY getting old.”
Your point is well-taken.
If Akin simply refuses to be browbeaten into withdrawing, the Republicans have two choices:
1. Withdraw all support (which they seem to be doing, at the moment) and try to distance themselves from him. The problem is that he -IS- “the Republican candidate” and they can’t remove him nor distance themselves from that reality, no matter how much they try. If he goes down, considerable collateral damage may result. Retaking the Senate is a particularly thorny issue that has national implications for the next several years. The Republican party can shoot to kill Mr. Akin, but that shot is gonna ricochet right back at them.
2. Go hell-for-leather all-out in support of Akin, with the goal of beating McCaskill and winning the seat. She is weak enough that with proper politcal firepower and the willingness to fight for the sole sake of winning, that she can be defeated. Throw everything they have against her — do unto the ‘rats as they will try to do unto the Pubs. Fight clean, fight loud, fight long, even fight dirty — damn the torpedos, full-speed-ahead.
The Pubbies can turn this around, if they’re slick and sly.
But they probably won’t.
In this contest, the end will justify the means.
And I do mean that.
There is simply too much at stake here to be so naive as to believe otherwise.
“Palin is pushing Steelman to a 3rd party ticket.
It’s the only real option.”
It may be no option at all.
Does not Missouri have some kind of “sore loser” law regarding primaries?
That is, those who run (and lose) in their party’s primary are barred from then running as “independents” or “3rd-party” candidates?
I’m not from Missouri, will those from there please confirm this or correct me?
If this is the case, Akin is “locked into” the Republican ballot and those who ran against him in the Republican primary can’t run at all for the same office, in this election cycle...
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