AFP Photo/US 109th Congress
Rep. Todd Akin (file)
Today, sitting Congressional member, Missouri Republican Todd Akin made the conservative radio rounds trying to clear up what he really meant to say on Sunday. He told radio host, Dana Loesch, “Well, it was a misplacing of that word 'legitimate.' That was the problem, particularly that one word.”
Akin went on to say:
And you know, Dr. Willke has just released a statement and part of that letter, I think, he just really stated it very clearly he said, of course, Rep. Akin never used the word "legitimate" to refer to the rapist but to false claims like those made in Roe v. Wade. And I think that simplifies it.
Simply put: Akin really meant to blame the victim. But who's Dr. Willke?
Dr. John Willke is the self-proclaimed, founding father of the pro-life movement. Currently, he serves as president of Life Issues Institute. Before that, he was the president of the National Right to Life Committee.
In 1971, Dr. Willke and his wife wrote the book, "Why Can't We Love Them Both: Questions and Answers About Abortion." In 1999, he wrote the essay succinctly titled "Rape Pregnancies are Rare," in which he writes:
Factor in what is certainly one of the most important reasons why a rape victim rarely gets pregnant, and that's physical trauma. ...Hormone production is controlled by a part of the brain that is easily influenced by emotions. There's no greater emotional trauma that can be experienced by a woman than an assault rape. This can radically upset her possibility of ovulation, fertilization, implantation and even nurturing of a pregnancy.
Just yesterday, Willke repeated this misinformation to the New York Times, adding that:
..."way under 1 percent" of rape victims become pregnant, not just because of female biology but because about half of rapists "do not deposit sperm in the vagina."
Today Willke released a statement on Todd Akin, which Mike Huckabee read on his radio show today:
"If you don't think that people can make false claims of rape, we need to look no further than Norma McCorvey, the Roe of Roe v. Wade. That infamous abortion decision responsible for the deaths of more than 55 million babies was based on that very lie. Not very legitimate if you ask me. Of course, Representative Akin never used the word legitimate to refer to the rapist but rather false claims like those made in the Roe case."
We'll leave you with another far-right, religious radio host and Akin supporter, Bryan Fischer, who claimed today that the real victim of assault is Todd Akin. (h/t Rightwingwatch.org)
Leave a Comment:
Minnesota House DFL minority leader Paul Thissen is calling for Duluth Rep. Kerry Gauthier to end his campaign for reelection to the Minnesota legislature after his sexual encounter last month at an interstate rest stop.
Gauthier, a Democrat, was questioned by police on the evening of July 22 at the Thompson Hill rest area off Interstate 35, where he met a 17-year-old boy for sex.
The two arranged the meeting on Craigslist, and the teen admitted he had told Gauthier he was 18 when responding to the post from the 56-year-old state lawmaker
And this is relevant in what way to this subject??
Maybe it relevant to the cries of shame on the Republicans, while we have ample history of such leading Democrat Party political leaders like Jack Kennedy having raped a young 18 year old female intern in the Oval Office and then seduced her into a year long affair including imprenating her, and onkly offering her a "name of someone who will give you a name of someone else who will take care of it".
Of Teddy Kennedy, the Lion of the Senate, forgiven for his womanizing and the death at his adulterer hand's of young campaign assistant Mary Jo Kopenicki at Chapaquidick Bridge after a night of partying on the Cape and excessive drinking trying to get her back to his hotel room.
Or maybe Bill Clinton, who was such a noted in and out of the Oval Office that his assistant Beth Meyers said "It's just one bimbo after another here" in disgust with her bosses actions, which included the sexual harrassment of Paul Jone and that Canadian Journalist who had complained that "Billy Goat" had forced himself on her in an act of rape.
But these good people are all heros to the men and women of the Democrat Party, even today. What flaming hypocrites! And they are going to castigate Romney and Ryan on the ignorant and offensive views expressed by a candidate in the Bible Belt state of Missouri, which Romney and Ryan both condemmed? Spare us your fake outrage!
During this segment tonight, I shouted words at my TV normally reserved for FauxNooz. (yeah, I watch it for laughs until I start screaming - that usually takes about 5 minutes) I stayed up until 2:00 am to see it again, because I couldn't believe what I had seen.
Rep. Akin "red herring'd" all three of you. In Rep. Akin's original gaffe (when a politician says what he really believes), he said "legitimate rape", not "legitimate rapist", so Dr. Wilke is correct when he says "Rep. Akin never used the word 'legitimate' to refer to the rapist". True, but entirely irrelevant. The clip you played tonight, he said "legitimate rapist", as did your on-screen text. None of you noticed this discrepancy ?! He defended his statement by saying he said something different than he actually said! And you let it slide right by you?
What is much more deeply disturbing is that, unbelievably, Sean Hannity is the only one I have heard to even question Rep. Akin's absurd justification, the junk science magic rape contraceptive that Rep. Akin "heard about someplace" but never bothered to verify. (my memory of exact quotes may be imprecise as your blog does not provide the transcripts I have grown used to on TRMS) When Hannity asks more probing questions than you, you are in deep, deep doodoo. Hannity?? Probing?? Crikee!!
Did anyone notice Dr. Wilke's continued junk science, where he attributes 55 million deaths to Roe v. Wade? He makes the assumption that these deaths would not have occurred absent RvW. I can't find the reference right now, but I remember reading that for many years, abortions did not significantly increase (later increases would not seem induced by RvW), so many of those would have died anyway in illegal abortions. Those with economic means already had access to abortion, and a girl seldom had to travel very far to obtain one. Also, it would be obvious that women's deaths from botched abortions decreased dramatically after RvW. But the right wing is never shy about inventing junk science to support their adgenda (cough, no climate change, fracking is safe, trickle down, cough)
I was surprised to find out the background of RvW (and it is actually a factual reason for challenging RvW, rather than a philosophical one), but it does prove the ineffectivemess of the anti-choice lobby in actually getting out their message that I did not learn of this for 43 years. But they speak in code words, so to their base, 'legitimate' is a bizarre twist of words, a dog whistle for the illegitimacy of RvW.
You might want to listen to this @!$%#...this is the new reality of the Republican Party. If you think Republicans have not waged a war on women..think again. All of you women out there..voting Republican will be the biggest mistake and regret of your lives. They are cavemen..and guess what..if you get hit in the head and dragged away and raped...too bad..you'd better enjoy it and you will keep the baby. You will not have any access to healthcare during your pregnancy though. So if there are complications..you are going to die. No female in her right mind would vote for these heathens. Think about it..would you vote to put anyone in charge of your body? Would you vote for any candidate who blatantly hates women and degrades them? If you vote Republican, that is exactly what you are doing. Are you not a woman first and a Republican later? This election..choose which one you are first.
I feel bad for the State of Missouri. They have an idiot representing them. Besides that, this is a good reminder that the GOP party has no concerns about America or the direction we're heading. They could care less. They basically threw this idiot under the bus where both he and they belong.
7th post on this subject in 24 hours? My my! Must have struck that old rape fantasy you keep in the closet along with your drag outfits, hmmm Larry O'Donnell. Your attempt to mount a campagin of distraction over one foolish man out in Bible belt Missouri making an offensive and ignorant statement (which he has fully apoligized for) might be of interest in the Missouri senatorial race, but it is hardly a crisis of national proportions. How about one post in the next week or so on the terrible economy and the dreadful fiscal situation, you know, something that the entire nation is talking about, except for the Obama campaign and his laceys in the national leftist media.
it's hard to tell which bad news triggered Grandpa's latest tantrum... The poll numbers that show the President leading by four points and Chuck Todd pointing to "likability" and "trust the President cares" issues... Or maybe it's this one...
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/22/13416266-gop-brand-suffers-heading-into-election-season?lite&__utma=238145375.2125474862.1345608419.1345654881.1345657583.3&__utmb=238145375.1.10.1345657583&__utmc=238145375&__utmx=-&__utmz=238145375.1345608419.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)|utmcct=/&__utmv=238145375.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Cpolitics%7Cpolitics=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.msnbc.msn.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Internal%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=98648797
That one foolish man expressed views absolutely in sync with the GOP's adopted platform. Hair splitting over "consensual" rape is offensive to most of us. But that wasn't his biggest gaff. Reality is he and a host of other GOPers want to allow no exceptions or set up a permit system for those cases that they deem worthy of granting exception.
Most of us just don't want to see the re-emergance of bloody wire hangers.
If abortion offends one's sensibilities, don't have one but don't impose your religious strictures on the rest of us.
No one is imposing. Rowe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision and the Hyde Amendment in the appropriation process are settled law according to Romney/Ryan. The issue is more the opposite, don't impose the spending of the pro-Live federal tax payers dollars on abortion. Take care of it with charitable donations instead if you have the need to support the taking of innoncent lifes!