After his remarks that 'legitimate rape rarely results in pregnancy.', Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP nominee for the Missouri Senate race is resisting calls from all sides in the Republican party to withdraw.
"I am in this race to win. We need a conservative Senate," Akin tweeted Monday afternoon, as he solicited new donations. He also told Fox News' Sean Hannity on his radio show that "we're going to stay in."
The tweet followed scattered and unconfirmed reports that Akin was moving to withdraw from the race. Akin, though, rejected those claims publicly even as Republican leaders leaned on him hard to reconsider his bid for Senate.
A source within the National Republican Senatorial Committee told Fox News that Sen. John Cornyn, head of the Senate GOP campaign arm, already has told Akin that if he stays in the race, the $5 million set aside for the Missouri race will be withdrawn. Cornyn, according to the source, told him the party is concerned his presence in the race could imperil Republicans' chances of winning the Senate majority. {...}
Adding to the wave of condemnation, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell called his comments "totally inexcusable."
"What he said is just flat wrong in addition to being wildly offensive to any victim of sexual abuse," McConnell said. "Although Representative Akin has apologized, I believe he should take time with his family to consider whether this statement will prevent him from effectively representing our party in this critical election."
Several other GOP Senate candidates were also putting serious distance between their campaigns and his, as they tried to head off Democratic efforts to link Akin's comments to other members of the party.
GOP Sen. Scott Brown, who's in a tough race against President Obama ally Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts, tweeted that he found Akin's remarks to be "outrageous."
He followed up with a written statement calling on Akin to bow out.
"As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin's comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong," Brown said. "There is no place in our public discourse for this type of offensive thinking. Not only should he apologize, but I believe Rep. Akin's statement was so far out of bounds that he should resign the nomination for U.S. Senate in Missouri."
Further, NRSC Chairman Cornyn used a brief written statement to nudge Akin to reconsider his bid for Senate.
"Congressman Akin's statements were wrong, offensive, and indefensible," Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement. "I recognize that this is a difficult time for him, but over the next twenty-four hours, Congressman Akin should carefully consider what is best for him, his family, the Republican Party, and the values that he cares about and has fought for throughout his career in public service."
GOP Presidential candidate Mitt Romney also weighed in, as did a number of other Republicans. "Congressman Akin's comments on rape are insulting, inexcusable, and, frankly, wrong," Romney said in an interview with the National Review.
And the Crossroads PAC, which had $2 million in ads scheduled to run in Missouri for Akin has cancelled them.
Akin has already tried walking this back, saying he 'misspoke' but it's hard to put toothpaste of this kind back in the tube.
Congressman Todd Akin is right...we do need a conservative senate. What we don't need is a stupid one.Nor do we need another careerist who puts his own ambition before what's good for the conservative cause he claims to believe in.
This is a test of character for Mr. Akin. He's obviously not ready for prime time. And he needs to withdraw from the race....now.
I also note the difference between the majority of Republicans and Democrats when one of their own does something wrong and makes an asinine statement.Like say, Joe Biden.
2 comments:
so if mr. akin is not ready for prime time, how has he got this far?
we already have the stupid congress.
i'm just curious how many would currently be serving in the us congress if every one of them who said something stupid, resigned.
we could start with john mccain.
I think what Mr. Akin was trying to say all be it an incoherent way was that, in the case of a rape that results in a pregnancy, the resulting child should have basic rights. There is much focus on the rape victim and the rapist but no focus on the rights of the child as a living person or any question about if the child should have rights. Much easier to ignore them.
I cannot imagine the trauma a mother in this situation would face. She does have the option of putting the child up for adoption. NOT a good situation but any discussion of this situation that does not attempt to honestly address the position of the child is not an honest discussion.
As for the idea that the mother's body has ways of shutting down pregnancy in the case of a rape, this is among the most idiotic and thoughtless statements I've ever heard. Furthermore, the use of the words "legitimate rape" seems incredibly thoughtless. As such, since it seems he is unable to express his thoughts properly and he seems incredibly insensitive to rape victims, he clearly indicates he cannot be trusted with public service. As such, pushing for his resignation is likely the correct course of action.
Furthermore, an "anti-abortion" or "pro-life" point of view is not a winning position politically. Unborn babies cannot vote, they cannot contribute to political campaigns, and they cannot organize lobbyists to advocate for their right to life or any other position for that matter. As such, they are unlikely to fare well in a Democratic system of government. Especially one in which a substantial majority of people have no problem with taking the life of an unborn baby, as America and much of the world seems to be today.
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