Politicians who are legitimately stupid rarely get elected.

[infinite monkey]

The idea that rape victims cannot get pregnant has long roots. The legal position that pregnancy disproved a claim of rape appears to have been instituted in the UK sometime in the 13th century. One of the earliest British legal texts, Fleta, has a clause in the first book of the second volume stating that:

"If, however, the woman should have conceived at the time alleged in the appeal, it abates, for without a woman's consent she could not conceive."

[monster]

But is Akin legitimately stupid or just plain evil? Now, the women who voted for him, we can probably take a reasonable stab that they are just plain stupid......

[infinite monkey]

I don't really care if he's stupid OR evil...though I think both which is really scary. He needs to step down.

[monster]

He needs voting out. If he steps down, he'll find a way to save face, maintain support and public exposure, and make way for one who is worse. He needs to be digraced and booted or voted out.

But now everybody knows his name and those to stupid to research before they vote will see a familiar moniker on the ballot paper and give it a big ole check.....

[monster]

Todd Akin apparently believes the body can suppress conception or cause miscarriage after rape.

Isn't this similar to the "morning-after" pill? Perhaps Akin is going down the wrong path? Perhaps he should give some consideration to prosecuting women who are raped and do not get pregnant for "spontaneous self-abortion"?

[BigV]

The Family Research Council has offered strong support for Akin, saying this is a case of "gotcha politics" and that people including Republicans calling for Akin to withdraw from the race "lack backbone". omg. The FRC is saying that the people of Missouri know Akin, that he's been elected five times, he's a defender of life, yadda yadda yadda. What a dilemma for the Republicans.

[infinite monkey]

“We feel this is a case of gotcha politics,” she said. “He has been elected five times. That community in Missouri, they know who Todd Akin is. We know who Todd Akin is because we’ve worked with him up on the Hill. He’s a defender of life. He’s a defender of families. This is just a controversy built up, it looks as though, to support his opposition. Claire McCaskill on the other hand has supported Planned Parenthood all these years…Todd Akin is getting a very bad break here. We support him fully and completely.”

Mackey added that she’s not agreeing or disagreeing with his statement.

“I know nothing about the science or the legal implications of his statement,” she said. “I do know politics, and I know gotcha politics when I see it.”

Um, so maybe you shouldn't call yourselves the Family Research Council.

Numnut.

[Cyber Wolf]

Buddy boy Akin needs to take a high school biology class, just sayin'.


Wait... this is Missouri. That's 'intelligent design in schools' territory. Never mind.

[monster]

perhaps as opposed to statutory rape?

[BigV]

Akin's staying in the race. Wow.

"The good people of Missouri nominated me, and I'm not a quitter," he said. "And my belief is we're going to take this thing forward and, by the grace of God, we're going to win this race."

Senator Cornyn, head of the Republican Party Senatorial Committee has urged Akin to withdraw from the race.

If Akin does not withdraw from the race by tomorrow, the GOP would be unable to replace him on the ballot with a candidate of its choice. Erick Erickson, founder of redstate.com, said Akin would surely lose the election, if he remains in the race.

“I don’t think he can get through the noise now,” Erickson said on CNN.

Publicly, Cornyn chose his words carefully.

“Congressman Akin’s statements were wrong, offensive, and indefensible,” he said in a statement release by the campaign committee. “I recognize that this is a difficult time for him, but over the next 24 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.”

Akin also chose his words carefully, saying he had made a “very serious error.” But he stopped short of saying he would heed Cornyn’s call.

What makes this interesting and urgent is that unless swift action is taken, his name will appear on the general election ballot in November.

Ushering Akin from the race is complicated by the fact that he has never been a candidate beholden to the party establishment. Since being elected to Congress in 2000, Akin has relied on a grassroots network of supporters. His Senate campaign is being run by his son.

Behind the scenes, Republican officials were looking for intermediaries Akin trusted to try to coax him from the race.

Missouri election law allows candidates to withdraw 11 weeks before Election Day. That means the deadline to exit the Nov. 6 election would be 5 p.m. Tuesday. Otherwise, a court order would be needed to remove a candidate's name from the ballot.

If Akin were to leave, state law holds that the Republican state committee has two weeks to name a replacement. The candidate would be required to file within 28 days of Akin's exit.

[tw]

Originally Posted by BigV

Senator Cornyn, head of the Republican Party Senatorial Committee has urged Akin to withdraw from the race.

That's the public statement. Necessary to defuse the issue among Akin's oppenents. But I suspect the party would rather have him run since he probably will still win the Senate seat.

The issue may be politically incorrect among the more educated. But his support is not from those people. I suspect Akin's strongest supporters quietly agree with him. Or really don't regard his statements as inflammatory. I suspect the party knows this. And minimizes harm by pretending to not support him.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by tw

That's the public statement. Necessary to defuse the issue among Akin's oppenents. But I suspect the party would rather have him run since he probably will still win the Senate seat.

The issue may be politically incorrect among the more educated. But his support is not from those people. I suspect Akin's strongest supporters quietly agree with him. Or really don't regard his statements as inflammatory. I suspect the party knows this. And minimizes harm by pretending to not support him.

I agree with most of what you've said tw. Public statement, check. Needed to distance themselves from Akin, check. I don't agree that they want him to run; I believe they'd rather have someone else who hasn't attracted and excited (Energized is the political buzzword) so much opposition. Of course the statement is politically incorrect, incorrect in so many ways not the least of which is factually incorrect. And sadly, you're right about his supporters who, not quietly, agree with him. They're just fine with his remark, who cares, no abortion, no exceptions, the end.

I welcome his opposition in this race, though I can't vote in that race. I think he's a good contrast to legitimate leaders, like McCaskill.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by footfootfoot

Politicians who are legitimately stupid rarely get elected.

Discuss.

Discuss? Ok. Let's hear from Tom Schaller over at the Baltimore Sun who has an opinion piece lovingly titled:

Todd Akin rape claim is the tip of the GOP wacko iceberg

House Republicans make constant display of their tenuous grasp on reality

Some excerpts:

Indeed, Rep. Akin's comment is but one example of how bonkers House Republicans get when discussing sex, contraception, abortion or feminism. Georgia's Tom Price has claimed that not a single American woman lacks access to birth control. (A 2010 study reported that at least one-third of female voters, and more than half of women under 25, have difficulty accessing or paying for birth control.) Arizona's Trent Franks believes African-Americans were better off during slavery because abortion today "devastates" their community more than enslavement did. Florida's Allen West warned that liberal women are "neutering" American men and — I'm not making this up — that this trend will inevitably lead to higher deficits.

...

In a fit of pique about First Lady Michelle Obama'shealthy diet initiatives, Wisconsin's James Sensenbrenner mocked Mrs. Obama's "large posterior." Iowa's Steve King warned that our mixed-race president "has a default mechanism in him that breaks down the side of race — on the side that favors the black person."

...

And who can forget South Carolina's Joe Wilson, who rose in the well of the House of Representatives during the president's nationally-televised 2009 health care address, pointed his finger at Mr. Obama and yelled,"You lie!"

Seriously? Who would want to be on their team?

[Lamplighter]

In an effort to explain his stance on abortion, Representative Todd Akin,
the Republican Senate nominee from Missouri, provoked ire across the political spectrum
on Sunday by saying that in instances of what he called “legitimate rape,”
women’s bodies somehow blocked an unwanted pregnancy.

This is true.

It's also true that every time a politician tells a lie about rape,
both his nose and his dick get shorter.

Have you seen the latest picture of Todd Akin ?
.

[ZenGum]

I can't decide whether Akin's comments are stupidity, ignorance, politically motivated cynicism, or outright neurotic delusion.

Either way it's bloody appalling that this person might be even considered for public office.

America, you really worry me.