Rep. Todd Akin, the Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri who is running against Sen. Claire McCaskill, justified his opposition to abortion rights even in case of rape with a claim that victims of “legitimate rape” have unnamed biological defenses that prevent pregnancy.
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare,” Akin told KTVI-TV in an interview posted Sunday. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
Akin said that even in the worst-case scenario — when the supposed natural protections against unwanted pregnancy fail — abortion should still not be a legal option for the rape victim.
“Let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work, or something,” Akin said. “I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”
Within four days,Todd Akin said to eliminate school lunches for poor kids, overturn Voting Rights Act, and rape doesnt cause prenancy.
Posted by: Walt | August 19, 2012 at 09:04 PM
Walt, in fairness, he said that legitimate rape doesn't cause pregnancy, illegitimate rape apparently does. I assume that a women needs to get her rape notarized if she doesn't want to become pregnant.
Posted by: JDB | August 20, 2012 at 09:49 AM
"legitimate rape" refers to the belief on the right that some women will claim they were raped just so they can have an abortion. It also refers to the belief on the right that unless the rape is done with brute force, it just might be that the little lady changed her mind at the last minute, or made some "poor choice" and ended up pregnant. Paul Ryan and Aiken co-sponsored a bill that tried to define what "legitimate" rape means. Isn't it amazing that in the 21st century, there are still people out there who believe that rape has anything to do with sex, and that women are the only ones who are responsible for preventing pregnancy.
Posted by: sparky | August 20, 2012 at 10:00 AM
Since Paul Ryan belives that there is no right to abortion even in cases of rape, I assume that Republicans are going to ask him to step down as potential VP the same way they are asking Akin to step down.
Posted by: JDB | August 20, 2012 at 01:42 PM
Doesn't matter what JDB thinks Ryan believes. Romney repudiated what Akin said. He will withdraw within 48 hours. He was really the weakest candidate run vs. McCaskill.
Posted by: Radical moderate | August 20, 2012 at 04:24 PM
Of course he was the weakest. That's why McCaskill spent $2m of her money getting him elected!
Hahaha. Are you going to answer the questions left for you on the last thread? You're not a hit-and-run are you?
Posted by: T-S | August 20, 2012 at 07:10 PM
The GOP is pushing back on Akin at the very same time they just incorporated his ideas into their platform. Odd.
Posted by: Coiler | August 21, 2012 at 05:48 PM
Think they're a tad bit fearful of losing Missouri to the dems? This is a test to see just how smart (or dumb) Missourians really are.
Posted by: T-S | August 21, 2012 at 07:03 PM
Sarah Palin is now teling Akin to get the Hell out. when a dumbsss is calling you a dumbass, but not in those words of course, you know you're in trouble. too late to get him off the ballot now. he misssed the deadline . this stubborm jackass Akin went on Hannity's radio show and made a fool of himself.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 21, 2012 at 07:39 PM
Tampa will be a mess next week
Posted by: Coiler | August 21, 2012 at 08:57 PM
No Thomas, Akin is a fool. But he's making a fool of Ryan by drawing light to Ryan's past bills.
Posted by: nameless | August 22, 2012 at 07:47 AM
"Doesn't matter what JDB thinks Ryan believes. Romney repudiated what Akin said. He will withdraw within 48 hours"
Wrong and Wrong.
A.) Romney/Ryan will repudiate, but the GOP Platform will be a cut-paste of what Akin said - No exception for Rape/Incest/Health of mother. Ryan was co-chair with Akin on Anti-Abortion bill that had again was cut-paste from Akin's quote about "legitimate rape"
B.) Akin's in it to lose it
Posted by: mercifurious | August 22, 2012 at 10:22 AM
He will withdraw within 48 hours.
Posted by: Radical moderate
Has it been 48 hours? Hahahaha. I love these Republicans!
Posted by: T-S | August 22, 2012 at 10:52 AM
By a margin reaching into double digits (15 points), American women say they will not vote for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
This gender gap appears to be widening. The same antipathy women have for Romney extends down the ticket to Republican Senate and House candidates as well.
Two recent events lend credence to the fears women have if a regressive Republican gets into the White House or regressives can take the Senate and hold on to the House.
Posted by: Coiler | August 22, 2012 at 11:36 AM
We have the Bushler's on the run and drawing first blood at the Family Research Council will make them think twice about any swift boating.
Posted by: I Dunno | August 22, 2012 at 02:27 PM
Romney is still lying about welfare/workfare even though even Republican Scarborough slams Romney for it.
And even extreme conservative Bill Krystol has enough common sense to wonder: I think taxes are the tougher attack ads. They combined, obviously, they're cutting Medicare. Why do they have to cut Medicare and gut education and do all these other horrible things when they insist on giving those tax cuts to the wealthy. But actually, if you look at polling, it's a pretty close call. People do know that entitlements have to be reformed. Even President Obama has said so. Hasn't done much about it. I think Republicans can pretty easily, honestly hold their own on that.
It's the tax cuts for the wealthy where Republicans have not done a particularly good job of defending it and I think you'll see the Democratic attacks really focus on that side of the equation.
Posted by: T-S | August 22, 2012 at 04:27 PM
Ryan's abortion bills..... another false boogeyman issue....no one gives two craps about Romney's taxes, Bain Capital or Ryan's wacko anti-aboriton issues. Last time i checked the Supreme Court has conrtol of the abortion issue, and they've already ruled on it. non-issue . non-starter. Watch and learn libbers. The Missoura Goofball is actually helping Romney and the pubbies who look moderate as they stand in unson against him. Medved stated correctly tonight that Romney is a shoe-in now unless the campaign team does some majot screw-ups, which they won't. His to lose. His to lose. Facts of life, libbers. sorry. bwahahahahahahaahahahahah (Tommy008 is living in Spain now, by the way, up in the mountains in some village. didn't you read the update form his Uncle? The names' Hal. Not Tommy. Halyard Pierce Throckmorton the Third. I'll thank you to call me by my given name. You people really need to learn your place.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 22, 2012 at 06:03 PM
Newsweek Magazine, that old "rightwing rag" has come out wiht a cover telling Obama it's time for him to go back to Chicago........apparently Holder and/or the guy who runs the civil rights division for his DOJ knows which way the wind is blowing. They are hiring mentally disabled lawyers, people with schizophrenia and other things, to staff up the division before Obama is booted out. Their idea behind this is to put in place leftwing wacko lawyers in the DOJ , specifically the Civil Rights division, who are people who cannot be fired , due to the ADA protections, even after Romney takes power. Most of you libs realize by now that he is going to take power in January of 2013.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 22, 2012 at 11:10 PM
You could use some ADA.
Posted by: Coiler | August 23, 2012 at 08:20 AM
Good to hear Tommy has a real job, when you mentioned hills of Spain you were probably embellishing just a bit.
Still graveyard shift at the Queen Anne hill Taco Time is honest work after all. Mmmm Mexi Fries!!
The Newsweek article by Nial Ferguson is a bit odd since he assumes that Bush's last presidential term was only three years and Obama's current term is five years.
He compares employment in Jan 2008 to today. So apparently Obama was somehow retroactively President one year early and is responsible for all job losses after then.
Did Bush resign earlier like Mitt from Bain? Is that how the game is played now? Ferguson also uses some weird calculations that add up the costs but don't subtract the revenue.
He's a Brit like myself,unlike me an Oxford Educated historian. Not good with numbers though.
Sees to be somewhat of a prat.
Posted by: ExPatBrit | August 23, 2012 at 10:17 AM
E.X. "Pat" Brit- are you sure that Ferguson is the prat? Or is it Obama?.....T-S- Karl Rove outlined the numbers for Hannity tonight- happy totals in the swing states, very happy totals. Florida Wisconsin Virginia, Penn...very very nice numbers turning in now. Ohio we still have some work to do. Well, happy totals for us. Not so happy numbers for you, T-S You see, as Karl explained it, as the summer inexorably draws to an ending, people sre startign to really think about their choice, and are realizing that Mr. Obama has no doubt tried his best, and it was certainly a good thing to elect the first black man, or minority as President, but he simply has not done a good job wiht the economy and other things. The verdict seems to be poor to pisspoor by a majority of voters in most of these swing states. I'm sorry to have to tell you that the dream is over for you, T-S. a bit of a depressant for you, ,to be sure.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 23, 2012 at 09:09 PM
Hal, if your writing is any indication of your awareness of reality, we excuse your confusion.
Posted by: Gentlemen Rouge | August 23, 2012 at 10:36 PM
2016: Obama's America is the surprise hit of the summer, not The Expenables 2 . It;s playing to packed houses all across America and has an 81% "audience liked it" rating on Rotten Tomatoes website. Produced by conservative Obama critic Dinesh D'Souza it exposes Obama's true past and predictc the scary, grotesquely changed America of 2016, after four more years of an unmasked and unfettered Obama now released from any concerns of re-election and popularity. Obama'a mommie wasn't a commie- but his Dad was.
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal | August 24, 2012 at 04:56 AM
Thomas, you can’t hope to out crazy the massive amount of fanatics on the right. You’re just a loose screw in the bucket of nuts.
Posted by: BlackRhino | August 24, 2012 at 11:36 PM
I seem to have unwittingly given a few of the cawing, cackling crows on this blog who oppose me politically, a straw man argument, in regards to my spelling errors, made because of my rushed schedule, and zero time for editing. Last night, I talked to my live-in maid, Esmerelda H., who is a former English teacher (I pay her three times what she was making as a Seattle Public School teacher, and she has full rights to use the rooftop pool here at the downtown luxury hotel and residences). She has agreed, for a nice raise in salary, to take on the duties of editing my posts. Hedge Fund Hal
Posted by: Hedge Fund Hal (edited by Esmerelda H.) | August 25, 2012 at 07:42 AM