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Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri, waves to the crowd while introduced at a senate candidate forum during a Republican conference in Kansas City, Mo. Akin, Missouri’s GOP Senate candidate, has questioned whether women can become pregnant when they’re raped, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, file)Photo by Associated Press /Chattanooga Times Free Press.
Republicans' march to deny abortion to women even in cases of incest and rape is patently cruel and incomprehensible on its face. But it was never apparent that a male Republican congressman actually believes that women possess such mysterious powers over their bodies that they could self-abort -- or in Rep. Todd Akin's words -- "shut that whole thing down" in instances of "legitimate rape" to prevent themselves from becoming pregnant.
But, yes, that's what Rep. Akin, the Missouri GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate and a six-term member of Congress -- who with Rep. Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney's vice-presidential nominee, helped co-sponsor the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act" -- said he believed in an interview broadcast Sunday on the Jaco Report.
A video clip of Akin's interview on KTVI-TV confirms his words. On Monday, of course, after a barrage of criticism so intense that many in his party demanded that he step down from the Senate race against Missouri incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, Akin said meekly that he "misspoke." He also apologized to anyone he may have offended, which is to say, everyone who knows women have no such power.
His words on tape belie the notion that he misspoke. They show him saying precisely what he believes. In a discussion on his strong views against abortion in all instances, he was asked: "What about in the case of rape, should it be legal or not?" Akin responded:
"Well, you, know, people always want to try to make that as one those things, well, how do you, how do you, slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. It seems to me, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really where, if it's a legitimate rape, where the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.
"But let's assume that maybe that didn't work, or something. You know, I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist, and not attacking the child."
There is no misspeaking here -- no sense that he was trying, as he said Monday, to distinguish between legitimate rape and, what? -- some new thing called illegitimate rape. His apology doesn't wash. Science and facts refute him. A 1996 report by the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, for example, found that more than 32,000 women became pregnant every year due to rape.
What's wrong is not that Akin misspoke -- he didn't. Rather, it's that, despite his ignorant arrogance concerning the biological process of impregnation, he would presume to control other peoples' reproductive rights. He surely doesn't comprehend the broader emotional and moral imperatives that compel other Americans to make different choices than he might make with regard to personal reproductive decisions.
That is why he should step down from the Senate race. His ideology and opposition to women's reproductive rights is not based on medical science and women's well-being. It is based on absurd notions. Of course, he's not alone in that regard. If he were, the Republican-controlled House would not have passed the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act last year by a 251-175 margin. The bill, if it were to become law, would have wide ramifications on health care providers, insurance companies and individual taxpayers relative to a range of reproductive services. Fortunately, the Senate rejected it.
The only reason a chorus of Republicans is now urging Akin to quit his Senate race is their concern that his unbelievably errant view of a woman's biology could hinder their party's success in swing states in November. Romney's campaign muffed the call, however, by initially issuing a bland disagreement with Akin's view before being compelled to voice more serious concern. That should make women as wary as Akin's naked views, and those of other Republicans like Ryan.
He misspoke. He told the truth of his despicable beliefs instead of giving a smooth lie that deceives us with its apparently benign nature.
I'm going to give the majority of conservatives the benefit of doubt and say that this Akin guy does not reflect their views. I do believe he has turned away many who may have made the effort to vote Romney/Ryan in this election.
And let us not forget Bill Clinton who is the poster child for sexual harassment and disrespecting women. The liberals still worship Clinton almost as much as Hussein Obama. And guess what? Bill Clinton is the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention. Where is the liberal outrage?This is another fine example of liberal hypocrisy.
Clinton's impeachment stemmed from an inquiry by Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr into several allegations leveled at the President, including a sexual harassment suit brought by Paula Jones. During his investigation, Starr received tapes of conversations Pentagon employee Linda Tripp made of former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. In the tapes, Lewinsky told Tripp of engaging in sexual activity with the President in the Oval Office. Tripp then asked both Clinton and Lewinsky about the affair, and both, under oath, denied its existence. After Lewinsky was given immunity, she turned over a dress stained with Clinton's semen (and DNA), and Clinton was forced to admit his involvement.
joneses...I will also respond here like the other post.
...the liberals have not excused Clinton for his affairs, just accepted his apologies. Maybe Akin's constituents will accept his apologies, but the damage to his party has been done just like Clinton damaged his party.
And then we find out that Newt Gingrich, the ring-leader of the operation was having an affair at the time himself. Now that was a fine example of conservative hypocrisy.
Yawn, you're trying to manufacture upset over Clinton's personal behavior, while ignoring how Clinton isn't making false statements about the impact of rape, or the possibility of pregnancy in order to change the laws.
Disapprove of Clinton all you like, but at least he didn't try to change the laws.
Well it looks like the Paul Akin issue has ended as he has apologized for his stupid remark. Now we can move onto Hussein Obamas failure and him raping medicare in the amount of 716 billion dollars. Or we can talk of his failed 900 billion dollar stimulus package or his failed economic policies.
Joneses,
You're a moron. There is no other way to put it. You are exponentially more ignorant than anyone I've ever come across. Nothing you say is consistent with reality... EVER!
Please don't excuse Joneses as ignorant. It's willful and deliberate fraud.
So poorly done, that it's quite likely intentional.
It is funny that the DNC is pushing for him to stay in the race (against a democratic candidate they think he will beat) only in hopes to try and connect him to Romney. Talk about being desperate. The Obummer campaign is pulling out all stops. I guess the facts that the GOP has stopped funding his campaign and that both Romney & Ryan have called for him to drop out means nothing. I guess on Nov 7th wehn he see he lost 30-35 states he will realize America is over him.
You mean just like Republicans want Mark Clayton to stay on the ballot in Tennessee?
I guess the facts there don't mean anything to you.
I wonder what you'll find out on that day in November.
The conservatives have not excused Akin for his statement we have accepted his apologies. If I was a liberal I would avoid talking about the real issues facing America as well because if I was a liberal I would not support anything but failed policies either.
When Wiener the weiner tweeted his weenie, did conservatives claim all Democrats were weiner tweeting Wieners?
joneses, actually, you must not be paying attention to the FRC and Pat Robertson, who actually have said that Akin said nothing wrong.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/08/21/in-akins-remarks-a-clash-between-pro-life-politics-and-principles/
Sorry, but your whitewashing campaign just doesn't work. You are excusing him, and expecting us to believe there's a difference.
Walden...go look at the discussion here on this site, see what you find. I've got little doubt that some of the right-wing screamers here would make just such claims.
But here's one difference, the GOP's party platform just did endorse this:
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/21/gop-platform-committee-approves-tough-anti-abortion-stance/comment-page-1/
Can you find anything from the Democratic Party that comes close to the same kind of support for what Antony Weiner did? Which, by the way, had nothing to do with any legal action whatsoever, unlike what Akin has proposed, which they do want to make into a law.
Don't deny it, he's got his name on several such proposals.
It is Pats and the FRC's opinion happywithbeingliedto and not the opinion of all conservatives. You see happy we are individuals. I am sure you are not familiar with the word "individual". Unlike you liberals each of us conservatives can actually think for ourselves and have our own opinions and have not a need for anyone to think for us. Some of us have different opinions. Please do not go into cardiac arrest for that last statement of mine. it must be very stressful for you to even imagine individualism.
You said "the conservatives" which is a claim for the whole group.
Except that's not the case. I'm sure you are familiar with what it means when you use a plural-term to describe a group as sharing a sentiment.
Turns out it isn't quite the case, is it?
Please don't go into cardiac arrest as you realize you're not being responsible for your own words, but trying to twist them around to attack me.
Well, actually, I don't have to worry about you realizing that, because you're so great at self-deception and dishonesty.
Besides, your own false attacks on the collective left-wing show you don't even follow that concept yourself, but are just being a hypocrite. As usual.
C'mon, at least have the sense to not refute yourself in the same thread. Try to space out your contradictions.
Hey Unhappy would it matter who ran against Corker? He got twice the votes than all the democrats combined. Nice try but again showing you delusional self. Drink more kool-aid
joneses said... And let us not forget Bill Clinton who is the poster child for sexual harassment and disrespecting women.
Or Clarence Thomas who likes his morning drink sweetened with pubic* hairs. LOL!!
How? You and joneses have swallowed it all.
Yeah, Corker will win, but so what? That doesn't speak well for this state, but we've long known that there's no real division in the government here. Tennessee switched the name of the party, but not the nature.
joneses said... Well it looks like the Paul Akin issue has ended as he has apologized for his stupid remark
An apology doesn't make Akin sorry for what he said. He's just a sorry individual who's sorry that even his own fellow republicans denounced him. Akin words speak to his true character, beliefs and value system.
And so do yours, Lr103.
happy
You are not worthy of attacking as your only defense is dishonesty.
lr103,
Kind of like Bill Clinton that is the headliner speaker at the DNC. You worship him and what he did was much more worse than what Akin did. Your hypocrisy is amazing.
And the legitimate rapist is nominating Barack Assange Obama for a second term at Charlotte.
If YOU were Barack Assange Obama would you leave your daughters in the same room alone with Bill Clinton for more than five minutes ?
You know the conservative right-wingers have lost the argument when they resort to attacks that already failed for them.
You know the conservative right-wingers have lost the argument when they resort to attacks that already failed for them.
Such dishonest hypocrisy.
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