Bizarre, Politics, Society

Akin: I Just Used One Word Incorrectly

Some strategists believe that Rep. Todd Akin may have not only saved the most unpopular Democrat in the U.S. Senate but could well have kept the Senate in Democratic hands. It is too early to tell, but Akin yesterday let the deadline pass for withdrawal without a court order and refused to yield to demands from leading Republicans that he drop out. He appears hoping that the Republicans in the state would prefer to send a man viewed internationally as a dysfunctional moron rather than accept six more years with McCaskill. What is even more disturbing, however, is Akin’s view of his own conduct. In refusing to leave the race, Akin said that he simply mad a bad choice in using “one word in one sentence on one day.”

As now even herders in yurts in Mongolia can tell you, Akin become a global laughing stock when he went on the air and explained “First of all, 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. . . But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something. You know I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.”

That ridiculous statement appears to come down to just one stray word, according to Akin: “I misspoke one word in one sentence on one day, and all of a sudden, overnight, everybody decides, ‘Well, Akin can’t possibly win.'” It is not clear what single word Akin is referencing but I assume it is “legitimate.” He is of course ignoring his breathtaking claim that doctors (still unnamed) have told him that women possess a type of kill switch over pregnancies that they can use to not get pregnant after a rape. That any adult would utter such nonsense raises more questions of Akin’s intellect than his attitude toward women. Moreover, after bringing the unity of the GOP against him (including the national party withdrawing millions from the race against McCaskill), Akin is minimizing his own bizarre conduct and how outrageous his statement was for women, rape victims, doctors, humans, and possibly every mammal on the planet.

Moreover, it is not simply a view that “Akin can’t possibly win.” McCaskill is so unpopular that he could win but that would be even more embarrassing for both the GOP and the country.

Source: USA Today

87 thoughts on “Akin: I Just Used One Word Incorrectly”

  1. More from Todd Akin:

    Todd Akin In 2008: Doctors Give Abortions To Women Who Aren’t Pregnant
    The Huffington Post
    By Mollie Reilly
    10/02/2012
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/02/todd-akin-abortion-providers_n_1934305.html

    Excerpt:
    Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin sparked national outrage in August when he justified his opposition to abortion by claiming that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.” However, the Republican congressman’s now-infamous remarks are not the first time he’s made a scientifically questionable statement on abortion.

    As Slate’s Amanda Marcotte reported Tuesday, Akin gave a speech on the House floor in 2008 denouncing abortion providers as “terrorists,” claiming that they sometimes perform abortions on women who “are not actually pregnant”:

    “It is no big surprise that we fight the terrorists because they are fundamentally un-American, and yet we have terrorists in our own culture called abortionists. One of the good pieces of news why we are winning this war is because there are not enough heartless doctors being graduated from medical schools. There is a real shortage of abortionists. Who wants to be at the very bottom of the food chain of medical profession? And what sort of places do these bottom-of-the-food-chain doctors work in? Places that are really a pit. You find that along with the culture of death go all kinds of other law-breaking: not following good sanitary procedure, giving abortions to women who are not actually pregnant, cheating on taxes, all these kinds of things, misuse of anesthetics so that people die or almost die.”

    *****

    That’s quite a medical trick–performing abortions on women who aren’t actually pregnant–doncha think?????

  2. Most polls show McCaskill up by 8 or 9 points. Although she is a blue dog she is considered to be too liberal for Missouri. She might not be the best senator but she is one amazing politician. Elizabeth Warren is the one I am worried about. She is really starting to lag Brown.

  4. UNCONFIRMED REPORT, THIS JUST “IN”: Akin ALLEGEDLY had a mistress who never conceived with him although she APPARENTLY tried for years (from 1994-1998, according to third-party information) so that she could nail him for support and perhaps for payoffs of other kinds. She recently REPORTEDLY gave an anonymous statement to a panel of blue-chip physicians in a secret location that she had concluded that not only do women’s bodies not conceive if they do not consent to intercourse, but even more significant, they usually do not conceive if they have intercourse but do not ENJOY IT. All seven of the male doctors who REPORTEDLY made up this panel disagreed with her analysis; one of them ALLEGEDLY said pointedly, “I have FOUR CHILDREN and I’ll bet you they all have my DNA; my wife is too UGLY to have a lover!”

  12. WBZ, Boston:

    MANCHESTER, NH (CBS) – A man running for sheriff in New Hampshire says if he is elected, he will arrest anyone involved in an abortion in his county.

    Frank Szabo set off a firestorm with the comments. People on all sides of the political spectrum have condemned the statements, but Szabo stands by them. He says it’s the sheriff’s job to protect every citizen – even the unborn.

    Republican for Hillsborough County Sheriff. But he injected a new issue in the debate when he sent out a press release saying he would arrest anyone performing an abortion.

    He took it a step further when asked how far he’d go to stop one.

    “Deadly force is the last thing law enforcement should be using, if a citizen’s life is in danger they should be protected,” says Szabo. “If there is no other choice, that’s what’s needed to protect the citizen.”

    Republicans called Szabo’s statement, “Irresponsible, outrageous, and inappropriate.”
    …
    Szabo isn’t backing down.

    He says, “Why is there a difference between someone who is 20 years old and their life is in danger and someone who is nine months in utero.”

    Szabo will face off against the current sheriff in the Republican primary next month.”

    Current crop of crazy!

  13. Idealist707, what’s it to you what time I’m up and using my computer…. I’m 68, retired and I’m very often up in the middle of the night, knowing very well before hand, that since I don’t have to work, I can sleep whenever…… I hope you reach this stage of life, before the Rethuglicans & Tea Partiers ruin the country… and attempt to do away with Medicare and Social Security.

  14. Zarathustra:

    “When Todd Akin was born, he was lying in his crib in the nursery in the hospital…. there was a little balloon above his head denoting his thoughts… ”Oh boy, now that I’m born… I never have to use my brain ever again.”

    ********************

    I think he really just shuddered and said, “Wow, now that I’m here the Republicans don’t care one wit about how I get along in the world — unless I can make them some money.

  17. Curious,

    She already has, Just hang around. You will hear more. This “box of evils” is filled constantly.
    ————————————————-

    Bonnie,

    Here they will chase you, DNA you, and make you pay accrding to your capability. The only problem is she gets to pick which of the guys she’s done it with, is the one shw wants for “father” of the child.

    Of course you may have luck with the DNA not matching. In not so many years ago, it was blood typing, much bigger chance of getting a possible.

    BUT YOUR BASIC POINT I SUPPORT 100%.

  18. Malisha,

    “When she originally tried to charge the man with rape, they wouldn’t bring charges because they said she dated him and nobody would believe it was a rape; they didn’t have resources in the prosecutor’s office to charge men with rape just because, after a date, there was some disagreement.” —-Malisha

    That is despicable. The rest even more so. Is this is what is meant by sewing your wild oats—-don’t think so???

    This is so tribal and patriarchal that is sounds medieval.

    Medieval, medieval, medieval. Hope that woke the professor up. He says he hates medieval societies. Do yuur thing please, Professor Turley.

    Kidding aside; Let’s hope that woke the rest of us up.

  19. Curious,

    You’re sleeping now, but hope you read this later.

    I believe that you are right that it is a tribal thing.

    “Kidnappings” of brides (with her parents permission after the negotiations and bride price paid) is still traditional as far away in the Buddhist world as Nepal in rural areas. Quite fun to read about, and for all, including the bride, sho is so flattered.

    Not saying that is true in PakAf

  20. Back when I worked for the Hughes Aircraft Company (Ground Systems Group) in Fullerton, California, someone put a cartoon up on one of the walls in the engineering section. It showed a bride and groom at the altar, with little balloons above their heads showing their private thoughts at the big moment:

    Groom: “Oh, boy. I only have to say “I do,” and I get to have sex whenever I want.”

    Bride: “Oh, boy. I only have to say “I do,” and I never have to have sex again.”

    Just something to think about …

    1. When Todd Akin was born, he was lying in his crib in the nursery in the hospital…. there was a little balloon above his head denoting his thoughts… ”Oh boy, now that I’m born… I never have to use my brain ever again.”

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