Remember Missouri Congressman Todd Akin? He's the Republican opposing Democrat Claire McCaskill for U.S. Senate in the Show Me State. Just to recap: my esteemed colleague Steve Benen points out:
"The congressman believes the very existence of the federal student-loan program is a "stage-three cancer of socialism." He's also eager to eliminate the minimum wage, believes liberalism is based on "a hatred of God," believes the Bible should be a "blueprint" for American government; and wants to impeach President Obama because, in his mind, the president is "a complete menace to our civilization."
If all that seems obnoxious, and it does, get a load of what Congressman Akin told KTVI-TV Saturday:
“First of all, from what I understand from doctors, (pregnancy from rape) is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, 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. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”
Take a deep breath -- exhale slowly. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is example #5784 why men shouldn't opine against -- must less try to legislate away -- women's right to make their own decisions. Today Akin released a statement in which he said that he misspoke and that his comment "does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year. 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." So he feels bad for them; he's still against them having a say.
Akin's remarks made such a stir that the Romney campaign issued a response today. "Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin's statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," a campaign spokeswoman said. Except that, as we've been reporting, Mitt Romney said he would have supported a personhood amendment in Massachusetts, which would ban all abortions, and Paul Ryan co-sponsored the federal version of that amendment.
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I'll just keep saying it: If the voters who vote on election day could be bothered to vote on primary day.....well, let's just say there would be NO discussion of this turd right now. But, my fellow Missourians who are not crazy stayed home on primary day and we got a religious waiver for students for whatever offends them, and Todd Akins.
Palm to face, deep...deep sigh......
Maybe he thought it was the Jackass Report.
I'm guessing that he has never 'known' a woman...what a sad little excuse for a man.
Well Bless his heart,He is one of Gods dumbest creatures and he still sports more grey matter than the lesser critters.
He's an idiot and obviously needs to find a new doctor to consult. My baseline - until the Right-to-Lifers adopt all of the children in need of homes in this country they shouldn't be given the time of day.
More BS from the flip flop kings. Do Romney and Ryan actually think they can do/say anything and people will just swallow it hook, line and sinker? Some are already trying to criminalize miscarriages as to being the woman's fault and next we'll see: she made herself pregnant from her rapist because she failed to stopped herself from getting pregnant.
The bigger - much bigger - problem: People do not vote in primaries. The whack jobs on both ends of the spectrum win because almost the entire electorate sits them out. Don't blame the radicals. Blame the absent majority who know better.
I am ashamed of you, my fellow Missourians! Please take this as a lesson on just how important the primary voting obligation is. Look at what we got: Todd Whackjob Akins and a horrible new amendment allowing the religious students to opt out of whatever offends them......that should go well....
Tony in MO...I couldn't agree more! I'm in Missouri and I am ashamed of the folks here. The polls were almost empty for the primary. Sorry to say, but, probably half the folks I know here agree with this guy and the GOP and their insane beliefs. It is a sorry state for sure!
Unfortunately, the Akin/Steelman/Brunner three-way cluster didn't offer much of a choice. The whack jobs came out, and voted for Akin. I don't mind that, it makes the choice crystal clear (despite the deluge of ads lying about McCaskill). The big draw was Amendment 2, which brought out a higher percentage of idjits. The litigation has already started. I wonder how many teachers, police, and firefighters they will have to lay off to pay for this battle.
R/R better be careful, though, disagreeing with Todd Akin. That's their base.
I am 66 years old, I have loved Politics since I was a teen watching the Kennedy/Nixon debates, but never ever have I seen anything so utterly stupid in my life as what this Congressman,and I use that term lightly, said. I read he was voted in by the Tea Baggers, if he is an example of the way these "Christian" people think, they are so wrong. These people are not Christians, these people are nut cases.Like I said I am 66, and I respect all senior citizens, but please people in Missouri,do not vote for this man, my God what is happening to the GOP? I thought they were nuts before but this senile old man has got to be voted out of our Government, along with the rest of these tea baggers, WOW!
It turns out there is some science on this topic, though limited:
http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2012/08/19/your-chance-of-getting-pregnant-if-raped/
We can probably say that the Member is wrong.
Easiest summary ever!
And you were beaten to the punch, Greg:
http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/AFY_Abby/2011/2/24/State-Wire-Georgia-Rep-Attempts-to-Outlaw-ALL-Abortions
Georgia isn't the only state that has attempted to outlaw miscarriages:
http://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2010/02/19/utah-passes-bill-that-charges-women-for-illegal-abortion-or-miscarriage
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/07/01/256823/pregnant-women-criminal-charges/
In reference to the R&R campaign's reaction:
WTF is wrong with them? Do they flip a coin every morning to determine where they are going to stand on an issue for that day? It's like a free for all. Spin the wheel get a prize!!! The setting is stuck on random.
With as big a threat as this man is, every email I receive from organizations at the national level do not mention this senate election as a must win. I read about national money being poured into other states but not in Missouri!!! WE CANNOT LET THIS MAN WIN THIS ELECTION-FOR ALL OUR SAKES!! Help Claire McCaskill get reelected in November!!
As scary as this lunatic is, the emails I receive from organizations at the national level never mention this senate race as one that must be won. Other races in other states are getting a great deal of attention but Claire McCaskill's race against Akin is being ignored nationally. WE CANNOT LET THIS MAN GET ELECTED! It is not just a Missouri issue it is a national issue! Please help support Claire McCaskill's reelection campaign for senate !!
Akin believes that a woman has a biological protection from becoming pregnant when raped. How did he pass biology class?
He believes that if a woman gets pregnant when being raped she must have wanted it. Very insensative. But my point is how stupid can you be. Again how did he get thru school.
Is this the best and brightist that the GOP has?
I honestly think most evangelicals are stupid.
He misspoke? They keep using that word...
Misspeaking is what happens when you say left when you meant to say right, or when you say that Bonn is the capital of Germany even though you know perfectly well that's not the case. True misspeaking comes in short bursts. You can't really misspeak an entire argument.
The statement about rape and pregnancy was internally consistent, which would not be the case if he simply misspoke. If he had intended to say 'not rare' instead of 'rare', for instance, that could be considered a misstatement, but only if what followed was logically inconsistent with the idea that rape rarely results in pregnancy. Since there are no jarring inconsistencies in what he said, we have to assume that he meant every word just as they came out of his mouth.
He meant what he said, and what he meant was that the supposed rarity of pregnancies resulting from rape makes his position on abortion rights somehow justified. But if he misspoke, then what is his position on abortion? Is he actually pro-choice, and it just all came out wrong? Unless he wants us to believe that his anti-choice politics is just a 200-pound brain fart, we have to dismiss his claim that he misspoke.
Very Well Spoken! Give you an A+
He voted "yes" on that amendment to a bill that redefines incest and date rape as "consensual." Apparently, Akin believes some children and women aren't fighting back enough and therefor deserve to bear their shame.
The unborn are not really precious in his eyes. Rather, they are a Scarlet Letter of sin and wickedness that must be paraded around to remind the inferiors among us of their failure to live up to Akin's expectations.
Once they are born, it's somebody else's problem not his. Out lived their usefulness at birth? Such depravity should not go unnoticed. Vote against this jerk.
PIGS!!!
He apparently "misspoke" - how convenient.
The local newspaper reports..."
Akin said in an emailed statement later Sunday that he “misspoke” during the interview, though the statement did not say specifically which points.
The same newspaper article also reported the following...
"Akin, a former state lawmaker who first won election to the U.S. House in 2000, also has a long-established base among evangelical Christians, and was endorsed in the primary by more than 100 pastors."
Wonder if those 100+ pastors support his idiotic remarks!
What kind of substance is this idiot on? A woman has a built-in mechanism that makes her body shut down in case the woman is raped? God- I wish it were possible to put this stupid, incorherent, backward-(like the entire republican party!) jackass into a woman's body for a month- then he would know!
If it was her first time to be raped or that time of month everyone knows you can't get pregnant according to Republicans males.
All right, Tea Party! That's the way you do crazy! Now keep talking like this. We need a few more Republicans to make heinous statements like this in swing states before the election.
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On a completely different note, this is something I've been wondering for a while: Rachel asked one of the Democratic donors this year why the big money donors aren't giving as much to the campaign this election season, and the answer was basically, "We're confident Obama will win." Why not then direct that money down-ticket to Senate and House races, then? North Dakota's senate seat is pretty important, and it isn't looking nearly as good for the Dems there as Obama is looking nationally.
Just a thought.
If Akin had a mentally disturbed, not retarded, but sociopathic uncle, or brother, that forcefully raped his wife, and she subsequently got pregnant as a result of the rape, because the built in "mechanism" didn't kick in, does that mean that he will either, love and raise that child as his own, or, leave his wife because she enjoyed being rape, therefore consented to it?
Just sayin'
He would raise the child as to feel shame.
Claire McCaskill's been a good Senator for Missouri, doggone it. She works hard for her state, and she has a tough job trying to represent the urban interests in St. Louis and KC while taking into account the needs of the mainly rural evangelicals. That's a tough line to straddle.
Part of my family comes from Missouri, and I've always thought that the people there were sensible, moderate folks. I hope they'll prove that this November by re-electing her.
This clown is well funded. Not only that, but Carl Rove and the Koch Brothers have targeted her with millions of dollars. If you really care about Claire send her some money. She truly is on her own. Obama has written Missouri off. She can't expect any help from the DNC.
Make no mistake, everyone. This is the future of our country if these rightwingnuts get elected!! Akin is the darling of American Crossroads and of Huckabee and all the rest of those on the extreme right.
This isn't the ONLY totally BIZARRE thing Akins has said!! But unfortunately, mostly before he has attacked the poor who DON'T have the resources to fight back or even to get the MSM to notice!
The ONLY reason the Ryan/Romney team came out with their statement (many hours after the fact) is that they are afraid the "outrage" will stick to them. If there hadn't been the outpouring of anger you wouldn't have heard a THING about this from them!!
And the statement was a lie in the case of Ryan. There is no way an evangelical Catholic approves abortion in any form for any reason.
I guess I'm one of those rightwing extreme nuts. With Obama track record of Horse Crap. I'm proud to be one!
392 hemi
What the HELL does Obama have to do with ANYTHING on this thread???
Can't you EVER talk about ANYTHING like what a piece of loser crap this AKIN creep is without bring in some ridiculous and irrelevant comment about President Obama into it?
And yea, if you think you are an extreme rightwing nut, probably means you are!!!
I'm speechless...
So out of touch....does he realize that women have the vote yet?
Not just out of touch. Completely unaware of anything around him. When he said what he did, did he have any consciousness that what he was saying was even the tiniest bit inflammatory? Does he know we can all hear him when he speaks? He's like a not-cute and not-marketable version of Max, blurting out insane @!$%# and then wondering "Should I not have moved my lips when I thought that?"
Ryan is for abortion in the event of rape? Since when?
I think the Romney people are spinning this one and are going to have to go back and do some retroactive admissions of sandbagging here. This is not the stand of the Catholic Church nor of an evangelical Catholic.
As Kent said in the last paragraph of the main post, Republicans are going to have lots of fun squaring Romney/Ryan's denunciation of Akin's statement with their own support for "personhood" legislation.
The fact that they're having to try to spin this away just presents one more good reason for politicians to think very carefully before they respond to any questions, or comment on any legislation, in this area.
As an ethnic Missourian, I felt compelled by my embarrassment over Mr. Akin's remarks to convene a meeting of old, country Democrats to analyze his condition. We have narrowed it down to three possible afflictions common among our people. The man is either "bedbug crazy," "peckerwood mean," or "knucklehead stupid." We're just waiting on the data to be analyzed. We'll keep you posted.
Pleeeeeease, Perry Ray, for the sake of all of the rest of us who don't live in Missouri, find a way to defeat this idiot. There's only so much stupid we can stand in the U. S. Senate, and with folks like Rand Paul, Jim DeMint, Saxbe Chambliss, Jeff Sessions, David Vitter, and Ron Johnson we're already waaaayyyy over the limit.
mpguy, send Claire some money. This guy is on television 24 7 and Karl Rove and the Koch brothers are spending millions to defeat Claire. Outrage isn't going to do it. Send Claire as much as you can afford.