Pressure builds on Akin to leave Mo. Senate race

(CBS News) Until today, few people outside of Missouri had ever heard of Todd Akin, the Republican candidate for Senate there, but Akin's remarks about rape have put him and the abortion issue in the national spotlight.

Republicans and Democrats alike, including Mitt Romney and President Obama, have condemned his comments. Members of Akin's own party are pressuring him to drop out as they battle to win back control of the Senate.

Todd Akin's comments have been called insulting, wildly offensive and just plain wrong -- and that's been the reaction from Republicans. The question he faced was simple: Should abortion be legal in the case of rape?

"From what I understand from doctors - that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said.

Those two suggestions -- that women might spontaneously prevent conception, and that some rape might be legitimate -- combined to create a political earthquake. Akin apologized to rape victims for using the word legitimate, but by then the Republican leadership had deserted him.

Akin apologizes; Obama says "rape is rape"
Romney abortion view overrides Ryan in Akin response
Romney, Scott Brown rebuke Akin's rape comments
Mo. Rep. Todd Akin: Rape rarely leads to pregnancy

Mitt Romney called the comments "inexcusable." Party leaders like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested that Akin quit the race for Senate in Missouri, to consider in McConnells words, if "(the) statement will prevent him from effectively representing our party in this critical election."

Akin rejected the idea of quitting, insisting his anti-abortion positions are a strength not a weakness.

"I stuck to just basically our conservative principles and I have a sense that we're still a people of forgiveness, and when people make a mistake, and they're honest about it, and say it was a mistake, I believe they'll move on," Akin said about the growing firestorm.

Until yesterday Republicans were counting on Akin to defeat incumbent Democrat Claire McCaskill, and to win back a Republican Senate majority. Now McCaskill has new life and she argues Akin has harmed Republican appeal to women.

"So I think when you start trying to split hairs around the subject of rape, it's offensive to women and it shows a blatant lack of understanding about the nature of the crime," McCaskill said.

Several Republican sources say Akin has been warned if he doesn't quit the race he will lose the party's financial support, at least $5 million the GOP has stashed to defeat McCaskill. Behind the scenes they're not asking Akin to step down, they're pressuring him to give way to another Republican candidate.

[mrsherman]

Don't give up, Mr. Akin. The Democrats don't want you to. ;-P

[TiffanyinTexas]

This is what I have talked about with my husband for some time. In studying group psychology you discover that groups move towards their most extreme members even if at first they don't approve of those extreme people. Even if they don't like what they are saying groups admire their most extreme members as being the most pure and ideal. The extreme statements being released right now and the recent "leak" of the latest version of the "life begins at conception" Republican plank is just to get people used to hearing radical statements until they become normal. Even Westboro Church is just social conservatism taken to its extreme. They picket military funerals so you'll pay attention. I would guess that most Social Conservatives agree with their ideas but have trouble with their methods....for now.

This won't stop until Moderate Republicans and Fiscally Conservative Republicans start making their voices heard. Right now the moderates are afraid to speak up for fear of being branded liberals or maybe most are just going along because they want to get their taxes lowered and don't really think the social conservatives will do what they are promising. Maybe they don't think their 13-year-old daughters will ever be forced to go through childbirth; maybe they don't think they will ever need to use artificial means to have a baby which is never mentioned but will be banned; maybe they don't think they will ever be 45-years-old, pregnant, underemployed, and without medical insurance; or 35-years-old, with 4 children already, surprise pregnancy, and barely paying the bills with both parents working.

Who knows, but I don't want the government making my personal decisions for me. And if you think this is the end of the social conservative movement then I suggest you check out the Southern Baptist rules on submissive wives. Have you looked at the extreme conservatives views on proper womanhood behavior?

Don't Tread on Me

Fiscally Conservative Mom of Three

[bobnjersey]

[I would guess that most Social Conservatives agree with their ideas but have trouble with their methods....for now. ]
---------------------------------------------
the ends justify the means for these people.

they'll do anything for their agenda ... and if and when their most vocal champion becomes an issue for that agenda ... they'll toss them to the curb without a thought.

everyone is expected to carry the torch to forward the ideology ... you're accepted as long as you're doing that ... and when you're no longer moving the ball forward ... you're a pariah.

[1Ronald100]

The good part of Todd Akin's statement is that at least we know what he's thinking. Now that his thoughts and he is out of the closet he can no longer hide behind the Republican general banner of anti-choice but is now rightly rebuked and ostracized for his attitude toward half of the population. That's half of whom he depends on for a vote and to get elected.

[cntrygirl3]

Don't lose sight of the fact that Mr. Akin AND Paul Ryan AND the majority of the republicans are STILL against allowing abortion in cases of rape. All this outrage on his stupid remarks DOES NOT CHANGE THEIR POSITION ON ALLOWING ABORTION IN CASES OF RAPE THEY ARE AGAINST IT PERIOD.

[AOCGUY]

You can be personally against something and still recognize the legality of it. I am personally a right to lifer but I also understand the the law of the land allows women to chose. I also understand that nothing is black and white (except of course black and white).

[GOP-R--Con-Men]

From Akin, Bachmann, Gohmert,Ryan, Romney

It is clear republicans are unworthy of and cannot be trusted to run government in a non idealogue fashion. Vote republican at your and America's peril.

[unclebernies]

THe Paul Ryan pick is getting worse by the day. Congressman Ryan sponsored the abortion bill with congressman Akins in the house. The house of cards for Ryan and the GOP are beginning to waiver.

[unclebernies]

It goes to show you how quick the GOP will throw you under the bus if you hurt the brand.

[KPeters_from_UK]

I realized that my post has taken a life of its own on different sites which is a bit worrisome because the list is influx it is constantly being updated with new facts. I am satisfied that readers are taking the list seriously and using it for their own blogs. But I hope they realize this is only a tiny tiny fraction of what's going on. Last year, there were over 300 pieces of legislature introduced that would have had traumatic effects on women.

Worth repeating. I'll give you 15 examples why no one should vote GOP:

If you doubt any, please just select a few keywords, copy and paste into google. Some of these examples were a bit tricky to google so I went ahead and pasted some sites that could help.

[KPeters_from_UK]

1.In Oklahoma convicted rapists are allowed to have child visitation rights with the child born of the rape.

This is even an issue? March, 2012, in Indania the legislators plan to study child visitation rights denied to rapists. State lawmakers agreed Friday to wait until next year to enact legislation denying parenting time and visitation rights to a man who fathers a child through rape. http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/legislators-to-study-plan-to-deny-child-visitation-rights-to/article_54013985-d2b5-5fc9-ba7b-f674cd549121.html

Also read: Giving Birth to a "Rapist's Child": A Discussion and Analysis of the Limited Legal Protections Afforded to Women Who Become Mothers Through Rape http://georgetownlawjournal.org/files/pdf/98-3/Prewitt.PDF

2. Idaho and Indiana want to make sure that "silly" women don't use a rape loophole for abortion. Indiana Lawmaker Will Close The Rape Loophole In Abortion Law, Because Of All The Women Pretending To Be Rape Survivors . http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/31/indiana-lawmaker-will-clo_n_843332.html

3. Mississippi's Governor gleefully openly stated that the new trap law, bill HB1390 will close down the only abortion center in the state.
4. Michigan, Texas and several others are pushing for Personhood bills which in many cases give full rights to fertilized eggs.

5. Arizona wants to limit contraception by allowing employers to act like doctors to approve or disallow birth control even if used for others means.

6. Tennessee will publish private information on patients, such as the woman's county, age, income, race who have abortions. If a woman lives in a sparse county this is intrusive. Tennessee abortion bill would publish private information - Video on ...
video.msnbc.msn.com/jansing-and-co/46795772 - United States

7. Georgia will no longer label victims of rape as victims but as accusers.
Also, lets us not forget the congressman from Georgia....This one is so easy to Google.
Rep. Bobby Franklin: Miscarriages Are Prenatal Murder - Gay Blog ...
unicornbooty.com/.../rep-bobby-franklin-miscarriages-are-prenatal-...23 Feb 2011 - Rep. Bobby Franklin (R) has introduced a bill that would require authorities to investigate miscarriages, declaring them prenatal murder. ...

8. The GOP in Congress wanted to change the definition of rape. I guess there is a difference between forcible rape and ...what? casual rape? Akin and Ryan both want to redefine rape.

9. For the first time ever in the history of the Violence against Women Act, which always had the support of many GOP and Republican Presidents suddenly is hated by the majority of the GOP and they seek to reject it.

10. A major Santorum backer called for women to use aspirin between their legs as birth control.

11. Rush Limbaugh called a woman a s!ut and lied about her testimony. Oh where in her testimony did she ever ever mention her sex life (for those ignorant men out there women need to take the Pill once a day for it to work regardless of a woman actually being sexually active)?

12. Blasting the Girl Scouts because they accepted a transgender kid when the kid should have be locked up in an attic. Wes Keller a GOP lawmaker condemns the Girl Scouts for being pawns of Planned Parenthood. Both groups wanted a boycott of Girl Scout cookies.

13. Wisconsin's Governor Walker secretly signing a bill into law that would make it so much harder for women to fight for fair and equal wages.

14. Wisconsin passed a law that eliminated the safest abortion option- non-surgical medication abortions while leaving the more invasive one in place. Bizarre.

15. Paul Ryan voted for the Protect Life Act, which grants hospitals far-reaching powers to deny women abortion care, without any exception for emergency situations (even is the mother's life is in danger). He is an opponent to ALL abortion, including in cases of rape and incest. Ryan may have gone even further in his opposition to abortion last year when he co-sponsored the "Sanctity of Human Life Act" - also known as a "Personhood Amendment" - that sought to designate the start of human life at fertilization. !!!The bill did not designate what exceptions, if any, would be allowed!!!!

16. Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, a conservative Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in the case of "a legitimate rape," adding that conception in such cases is rare.
On top of this, why are all the Red States are at the bottom of the pile in regards to quality of health care for women, employment choices for women, education for women, and have the worst wages for women and the highest teenage unwanted pregnancies?

[WeHappyFew]

Still waiting, apparently the Republican party think Akin is a suitable Senate material. A bovine idiot with a tenuous grasp on basic biology. A demagogue. at this point Romney really should be saying 'him or me'
Akin, who wishes to remove the rights of the electorate by repealing the 17th Amendment, is this the best conservative money can buy?

[valfred]

Here is a prime example of why it is not permissable to rely on our government to decide what the appropriate choices for woman and their preganancy are.

Seriously, would you want theis man a part of the law making process that affects your life? He didn't mis-speak. He articulated his true thoughts and is now scrambling to backpeddal. Get out of the race and disappear. He is an embarrassment.

Perhaps this idiot should be "legitimately" raped. Who knew rape could be catogorized in such a way. Heartless, senseless, and utterly disgusting.