Todd Akin Should Leave Senate Race, Read a Book On A Woman’s Reproductive System
If this past weekend you had to create a fictional account for the political playbook this season could you have concocted anything as outrageous as this which came from the mouth of Todd Akin?
The problem is that Akin represents the mindset of too many conservatives in this nation. Brain-dead and naturally inclined to talking before thinking. He is the epitome of the Tea Party.
As a Democrat I would love for Akin to stay in the race, and allow for a continual drum-beat over the abortion issue. Women are already fleeing from the GOP, and this issue only exacerbates their political problems.
But as someone who wants the meatier issues of the fall campaign to have a full airing I want Akins to depart the race, and let the grown-ups continue on towards Election Day.
There is no room in our political discourse for the lack of sensitivity, and outright stupidity that Akin demonstrated with his remark. While he clearly had the First Amendment rights to make such a statement, the public also has the right to counter his foolishness, and demand his ouster as a candidate.
Once the uneducated Akin is out of the race he might care to head to the library and pick up a book or two about a woman’s reproductive system. There might also be a read concerning how to stay quiet until informed enough to make a statement in a political campaign.
That latter read may not be so important for him as his political career is surely over.
Republicans are watching the clock as they wait for a defiant Todd Akin to drop out of the Missouri Senate race following controversial remarks he made about rape and abortion.
The six-term conservative congressman insists he’s not quitting. However, he is facing intense pressure from within his own party to drop out of the competitive race against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, and he could easily do so — before 5 p.m. Central Time today.
If Akin exits today, the state Republican party will have 28 days to replace him on the ballot. If today’s deadline passes, Akin could still withdraw from the race before Sept. 25, but if he did so during that window, the Missouri GOP would have to obtain a court order to replace his name on the ballot. After Sept. 25, the state will not change the names on the state ballot, no matter what.
Republicans are urging Akin to get out after suggesting that women couldn’t get pregnant from rape.
“It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin said in a local interview on Sunday when asked whether he would support abortions for rape victims. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” Akin said of a rape victim’s chances of becoming pregnant.
Amen.