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PAUL RYAN AND TODD AKIN were two of the 227 Republican co-sponsors of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act in January 2011. This was a bill that turned “rape” into “forcible rape,” until the public got wind of this wingnuttery and House Republicans were forced to backtrack.
Rep. Akin has now issued a statement saying he “misspoke” when he said that women who are victims of “legitimate rape” may not be able to get pregnant in the first place. Sorry, not good enough.
Todd Akin’s gaffe goes to the heart of the Republican base and what they believe about women, our own freedoms, as well as our own ability to self-determination. The DNC has now sent out an email tying Mitt Romney to Todd Akin, which was as predictable as the wingnut himself revealing what the far right believes about women in the first place.
It’s breaking through, with the St. Louis Post Dispatch and many other Missouri papers, as well as national outlets and new media, covering the story hard.
When talking about a harrowing event like the rape of a woman and not only saying she has the physical capacity to self-abort, but saying on TV that rape isn’t always “legitimate” when it’s charged, is something that goes deeper than just screwing up a statement.
On Sunday, the Romney campaign quickly distance themselves from Todd Akin.
“Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin’s statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.” – Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg
However, this statement doesn’t go far enough for a team who wants to run the country, from two men against abortion and women’s right to self-determination, but with one of the men party to a bill that’s original intent was to redefine rape itself to “forcible rape,” as if there is any other kind.
The Republican brand is in shambles. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are running under the banner of offering America a “comeback.” The best place they could start is by not just disagreeing with Akin, but disavowing such language and saying it has no place in the Republican Party.
But so far that’s not what’s being done by Mitt Romney. It illustrates the stranglehold grip the far right would have on him if he were elected president and should give every modern woman and the men who love us pause. If Romney wants to lead, he’s got a chance on this, while sending a strong message to women that “pro life” actually stands for something more than a marketing term to humiliate and manipulate women.
Rape is rape and no further clarifying of this crime of power and brutality is required. Until the Republican Party as a whole respects this fundamental human rights principle they’re unbefitting to hold the highest office in this country.
Actually, Akin, Ryan and Romney all got together at an exclusive resort and raped severl poor minority women to test out the validity of this claim.
So, we’ve talked about supressing the minority vote and outlawing abortion. I assume that next we’ll be treated to discussions about racial profiling, discrimination againts LGBTQIA, etc…, etc… Anthing but jobs, the economy and entitlements. Democrats always seem to tackle the big issues these days.
C’mon PWT. This is campaign season and statements like what Rep. Aiken made are PURE GOLD to opponents. This statement is SO golden that it goes up and beyond Akin to Ryan and to the Republican brand. And then you expose a tainted brand for all to see with proof. I’m with you PWT. I’m about jobs, the economy, and entitlements. But Presidential elections always hinge on moments that DEFINE. Jeremiah Wright has nothing to do with the issues at hand at that time. But you couldn’t tell anyone THAT at THAT time.
The difference between Rep. Akin’s remarks and Rev. Wright’s remarks is that Rev. Wright was not a sitting Congressman and his “policies” weren’t up for a vote in Congress.
And I forgot my past tense. Rev. Wright comments in 2008 during then Candidate Obama’s run.
And talk about handing a big fat gift to Rep. McCaskill! A female client of mine who lives in Missouri is a conservative. And she was LIVID at what Rep. Akin said. She said she’s not voting for McCaskill but will probably not vote at all.
If you think the right of a women to control her own body is not a big issue, you are living on some other planet.
I think that it is a big issue to some, but when Americans are asked about their main issues of concern for the 2012 Election, I dont think that it ranks very highly in terms of importance. Outside of the ‘universe of lefty blogs’, is it really that big of a concern?
What you say is true, but Akin is apparently too slow-witted to realize it. The best thing for him to do is suffer his lumps and be wiser for the pain. Huckabee did no favors to the R Senate takeover prospects by campaigning for Akin in the primary instead of just sitting back and allowing one of the two other Rs that were beating McCaskill while sleep-walking.
The problem with socons is that they have such a church culture that unless they happen to be born clever, they simply carryover church sermonizing into political stumping.
The genius of Harry Dent and subsequently, Lee Atwater has been squandered by allowing the religious right to become the wardens of the Southern Strategy.
The old political axiom of “tell the people what they want to hear” is still true, but, if you are going to forsake the low-hanging economic fruits for forays into social issues, one has to be clever enough to know to parse these down into those aspects that are going to cut 70/30 in your favor and not play with the ones that cut 30/70 against you.
Non-clever politicans deserve their lumps and I put Akin in that category.
Like I said, you must live on another planet seeing as 50 plus% of the voting public is women, and you really think it doesn’t rank very high in importance? Spoken like another pig man who doesn’t have a clue.
Typical repugnantklan/teabagger lament when reality and facts show their candidates to be the misogynistic, anti rights bigots they are to try to change the subject.
Here’s a news flash for anyone actually stupid enough to keep trying to spout these faux not news, limpwithnoballs, RNC talking points…..PLEASE continue, PLEASE cement in the national psyche that you ass monkies are as hate filled, misopgynistic, homophobic and racist as you really are…PLEASE!
Glad to see that the lobotomy left your abilty to reason and argue a point in tact.
And, yes, Akin, Romney and Ryan teabagged those poor minority women before and after they raped them – their mothers too!
As I said PWT, PLEASE continue, PLEASE. I would like to thank you and all the other misogynistic, women hatting repugnantklan/teabaggers for making this election so very easy. Continue…PLEASE.
next time I’ll put in the /sarcasm tabs.
But, on a lighter note, any guess as to who’ll be the house band for Akin’s victory party:
“According to the Des Moines Register, Williams told the crowd: “We’ve got a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him”
A country boy can survive…
The controversial comments went over well with the crowd, which responded with cheers.
So let me get this straight….a drug addicted, alcoholic buffoon(hey, is he limpwithnoballs secretly?) spews his racist ignorance to a mob of racist, ignorant, crackers and you think that proves what? That the repugnantklan/teabagger base is as ignorant, racist and stupid as their heroes? Or you?
The voters and politicians in this country are starting to resemble characters in that TV show, ” Arrested Development. “
Ha! This is the tip of thew iceberg with Atkins. Clarie really needs to double down on her GOTV effort because I think many many GOP women will do what T-steel’s client will do…not vote for Claire but not vote for Adkins either.
What’s really shocking is that this guy was in the State House of Representatives from 1988 – 2000 and then in the House since. Slow-witted as he may be, he seems to connect with the voters.
House districts (both state and even National) can be drawn ideologiocally homogenous enough to put any numbskull in office.
Within a few blocks either way of my Florida residence, I have Alcee Hastings, Allen West and Debbie Wasserman Schultz all dividing up turf. It is a gerrymanderers Mona Lisa.
Shocking? Disgraceful is more like it….but the Ayn Ryan was voted in along with Bachman and any number of the fever brained psychos of the repugnantklan/teabagger mob.
The MO statehouse is chock full of wing nuts.