Todd Akin doesnt believe a woman can become pregnant from a rape

[cyberdude558]

Sen. Claire McCaskill is probably having a pretty good Sunday. Her opponent in the Missouri Senate race, Republican Rep. Todd Akin, has spent most of the day backtracking after saying that victims of "legitimate rape" cannot biologically become pregnant and thus do not need access to legal abortions.

"First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy after rape] is really rare," Akin told KTVI-TV in defense of his stand that rape victims should not be allowed to access abortions. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Akin said that even if a rape victim does somehow become pregnant, "I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child."

Akin's comments sparked a big backlash on Twitter, where the hashtag "#legitimaterape" soon became one of the most popular terms on the site. A parody account bearing Akin's headshot mocked the Congressman for his comments. McCaskill, meanwhile, also went on the attack. "As a woman and former prosecutor who handled hundreds of rape cases, I'm stunned by Rep. Akin's comments," she wrote.

Akin said in a statement that he "misspoke" in the interview. "In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year," he said. He later wrote on Twitter that "all of us understand that rape can result in pregnancy & I have great empathy for all victims. I regret misspeaking." (Indeed, a study in the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that rapes result in more than 32,000 pregnancies each year.)

McCaskill's campaign spent $2 million to run ads that boosted Akin as the "true conservative" during the three-way primary race for the Republican nod, which he won by six percentage points. McCaskill considered him the weakest potential challenger and wanted him to win the primary, the New York Times reported. The Democratic senator is trailing Akin by about 8 points in the polls, according to TPM's Polltracker.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/gop-senate-candidate-says-misspoke-legitimate-rape-005818070.html

[olafberserker]

That isn't what he said.  At least represent what he said accurately.

[JavaRay]

I absolutely think rape victims should be able to get an abortion if they want.    I vehemently oppose any candidate who thinks otherwise.   Personally, I think abortion should be mandatory for anyone who can't support that kid and would need welfare to support it.   

[blountforcetrauma]

I imagine Rep. Aiken would change his tune if someone raped his wife/daughter. But like all politicians, opinions like laws, never apply to their loved ones but towards the common peoples.

[McBarron]

We would not be in any wars if any of the Legislative Branch's IMMEDIATE family members had to go fight. Same goes for the Executive Branch. Oh, how legislation would be so much more beneficial to the American people if lawmakers themselves were actually affected.

[Morgan]

I absolutely think rape victims should be able to get an abortion if they want.    I vehemently oppose any candidate who thinks otherwise.   Personally, I think abortion should be mandatory for anyone who can't support that kid and would need welfare to support it.

In the past you've sounded like you're a rightwinger, but this is a liberal position.

[tripblood]

Lol social conservatives are ALL losers

[McBarron]

Those that believe in the two-party system are ALL losers.

[tripblood]

Touché ^^

[BucNY]

How about we let the mother and father decide what is best. Or in the case here, the mother.

[McBarron]

Agreed

[olafberserker]

shouldn't the one getting offed get a say as well?

[McBarron]

I just prefer to leave it at "it's THE woman's choice."

A) It's convenient for me as I am a male, and will never have that decision to make.......WEAK excuse, I know, but still true
B) I am not very religious by any means........PRO Lifers are typically the religious types. NOTE: I feel very strongly that there should be a division between church and state.
C) It usually leads to intense and heated arguments.......Ones that I prefer to avoid.

Abortion is a horribly sensitive topic. I lean more towards Women's choice, and I will leave it at that. I feel, as a man, I have no right WHATSOEVER to tell a women what to do when they're pregnant.

[BucNY]

shouldn't the one getting offed get a say as well?

Except the "one" getting off is not a child and nothing more than a growth of cells.

I would imagine the "one" getting off would prefer to be born to a mother/father who actually wants them, rather than a mother views the child as stealing her life.

Differences in opinion I suppose.

[olafberserker]

I get it more when it comes to a rape situation and I don't want to really debate when life starts here.   There have been many individuals that have grown up to do great things that were born to parents/mother that were not interested in taking care of that child.   I would think that the one getting offed in most cases would choose life regardless.