"For God’s sake,”
“DEFCON 5.
Panic for the rest of the ticket.
Major intervention needed.”
A Missouri GOP operative lamented Sunday after Akin’s rape remarks
In this May 17, 2011 file photo shows U.S.
Congressman Todd Akin, Republican from
Missouri, announcing his candidacy for U.S.
Senate, in Creve Coeur, Missouri.
p o l i t i c o
August 1, 2012
Rep. Todd Akin’s damning statement that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant is just the latest in a string of unforced errors by the GOP Senate candidate that has Republicans fretting about his chances of beating Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.
And a loss in Missouri would almost certainly quash the party’s hopes of reclaiming the Senate majority.
In just over a week since securing the GOP nomination, Akin has doubled-down on likening student loans to socialism, questioned the value of voting rights laws, called for the end of the federal school lunch program and then — in an interview that made national headlines — openly speculated about the consequences of “legitimate rape.”
It’s no wonder why McCaskill was more than happy to assist Akin’s primary campaign with an ad hailing him as “the true conservative.”
In a span of 12 short days, the six-term congressman’s performance has confirmed the worst fears of Republicans while breathing a burst of fresh hope into McCaskill’s underdog bid.
Todd Akin, Paul Ryan
and the very real war on women
________________________
After the negative and swift public reaction to his remarks, Akin said in a statement that he “misspoke,” but that claim
doesn’t fly <SPAN style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">when you do a quick review of his legislative
history, which is directly connected vice presidential pick
Rep. Paul Ryan on this exact issue.</span>
Todd Akin and Paul Ryan were the original co-sponsors of the controversial bill H.R. 3, “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which initially included language which changed the definition of “rape” to “forcible rape,” until public pressure forced the bill’s supporters to remove that unacceptable and narrow definition. As I wrote previously, Paul Ryan is not just anti-choice, his anti-choice views are extreme and just plain bad for all women.
Top Republicans in Washington and Missouri are abandoning Rep. Todd Akin in droves and calling on him to quit his Senate race against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill after his explosive remarks that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant.
“I’m announcing today that we’re gonna stay in,” Akin told Sean Hannity on the conservative host’s radio program Monday.
“I have a sense that we’re still a people of forgiveness. And when people make a mistake — and they’re honest about it, they say it was a mistake — I believe they’ll move on,” Akin added. “I think that there are an awful lot of people that still believe in mercy and forgiveness and God’s love. I made a single error in one sentence.”
Akin stays in race as deadline passes,
resists wall of GOP pressure
Missouri Rep. Todd Akin resisted a united front of Republican Party pressure Tuesday to drop his Senate bid following controversial comments on rape, as Mitt Romney and other party power brokers isolated him amid concern he'd hurt Republicans' chances of winning control of the Senate.
