Posted on 08/19/2012 6:57:25 PM PDT by randita
Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri, justified his opposition to all abortion, even in instances of rape, by saying that “legitimate rape” rarely leads to pregnancy — comments that have set off a media firestorm in an already contentious race.
In an interview with a St. Louis television station posted today, Akin said that female bodies “[have] ways to try to shut that whole thing down” and that only rapists, and not unborn children, should be punished.
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin told KTVI-TV, in an interview first reported nationally by Talking Points Memo. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
“Let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work, or something,” Akin continued. “I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”
Akin has since issued a statement saying he “misspoke” but did not reverse his position on abortion in the case of rape or incest, nor did he dispute the medical claims he made by citing doctors.
“It’s clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve,” Akin said in the statement. “I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action. I also recognize that there are those who, like my opponent, support abortion and I understand I may not have their support in this election.”
Akin’s opponent, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, issued a statement calling Akin’s remarks incomprehensible and “offensive.”
“It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape,” McCaskill said. “The ideas that Todd Akin has expressed about the serious crime of rape and the impact on its victims are offensive.”
Earlier this month, McCaskill and her Democratic allies spent more than $1 million in Missouri’s Republican primary, according to the Sunlight Foundation, trying to boost the conservative Akin, largely viewed as the most politically vulnerable candidate in a state primed for a GOP pickup.
I can’t believe this!
He has to withdraw now.
Do you have someone ready to go who can take his place ???
what a fool.
how on earth do these idiots make it to public office?
I agree with you, he needs to drop out !!!!
Claire is going to use this to cover up all her failings and short comings. She will use this all the way to November.
Now we will see the Obama Media trying to brand every Republican running for office with these ignorant comments.
Looks like quite the setup to me.
To everyone demanding that he step down and be replaced by someone else......is this even possible in Missouri?
Sarah Steelman, whom Sarah Palin endorsed, would be my pick.
They have until Tuesday August 21, 5 pm CDT to make change.
It was an idiotic thing to say. Why was he even talking about this issue rather than the economy, debt, deficit, Obamacare, and the fact Claire has been Obama’s biggest cheerleader all along the way?
Only Democrats can misspeak, didn’t you get the memo?
The die is cast. If this idiot doesn’t disappear ASAP, he will drag down every other Republican running for Office.
Ignorance is curable, Stupidity is forever.
This guy is now immortal.
McCaskill spent a great deal of money to help Akin’s get the Republican nomination. It seems that she knows what she is doing.
McCaskill is a menace to the human race and would have a hard time winning a race for dog catcher. But, maybe all she needs is the Missouri Republican Party.
Stay with the economy! Claire and her friends in the senate are trying to divert attention from the terrible economy.
What he said was correct it was just misspoke in phraseology. What he was saying was a real rape rather than statutory or fake rape the woman’s reproduction shuts down so pregnancy is rare. He should explain his statement.
Thank God Sarah did NOT endorse him. She endorsed Sarah Steelman, people should have seen it as a warning sign that McCaskill wanted to run against Akin so badly, that would have been a HUGE red flag as far as I’m concerned. Dems always tell us who they are afraid of, and it seemed that they were NOT scared of Akin.
We have to get this seat back, if McCaskill wins the Dems can still maintain control of the Senate, we wouldn’t be able to repeal Obamacare.
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