Republican back-pedals on “legitimate rape”


by Sarah McAlpine    
2:37 pm - August 20th 2012

Tweet       Share on Tumblr

A Republican Senate nominee is trying to back away from a firestorm of controversy yesterday after he spoke of his support for abortion restrictions, even in cases of rape.

Todd Akin told a local TV station: “First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

He went on to say that abortion should not be a legitimate option even for rape victims.

In response to national outcry, Akin now claims he “misspoke”.

His initial comments were immediately condemned by his opponent, Senator Claire McCaskill. She wrote on her Twitter: “As a woman & former prosecutor who handled 100s of rape cases, I’m stunned by Rep Akin’s comments about victims this AM.”

They also sparked outrage on the micro-blogging site, and within hours the term ‘legitimate rape’ was trending.

A 1996 study by the American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists found that an estimated “32,101 pregnancies result from rape each year.”

Rep. Akin has been a staunch opponent of abortion during his career. He also opposes the Morning-After Pill, which he regards as a form of abortion.

This is not the first time that Rep. Akin has caused controversy with his comments on rape.

In 1991, whilst working as a state legislator, he voted for an anti-marital-rape law, but only after questioning if it could be misused “in a real messy divorce as a tool and a legal weapon to beat up on the husband.”

Last year he co-sponsored legislation that attempted to distinguish forcible rape in a bill related to abortion restrictions. The phrase was later dropped.

Rep. Akin now says his remarks were “off-the-cuff”, adding: “it’s clear that I misspoke in this interview and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year.”

However, his position on abortion, even in cases of rape, remains the same.

“I recognize that abortion, and particularly in the case of rape, is a very emotionally charged issue. But I believe deeply in the protection of all life and I do not believe that harming another innocent victim is the right course of action.”

   Tweet   Share on Tumblr   submit to reddit  


About the author
Sarah McAlpine is a News Editor at Liberal Conspiracy, and volunteer Co-Editor at www.womensviewsonnews.org. Raging Feminist. She likes Politics, Smashing Patriarchy & Animal Videos - though not necessarily in that order.
· Other posts by


Story Filed Under: News


Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.


Reader comments


1. Frances_coppola

He hasn’t backtracked at all. Here is the statement in full:

http://www.akin.org/updates/akin-statement-jaco-report-interview

He has not defined what he meant by “legitimate rape” nor changed his earlier statement that pregnancy after “legitimate rape” is very rare.
However, as in his earlier statement he suggested that the trauma of the rape would inhibit ovulation and therefore pregnancy, he presumably means forcible rape – which is consistent with his earlier attempt to limit Federal funding for abortion after rape to “forcible rape” only:

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/08/19/712251/how-todd-akin-and-paul-ryan-partnered-to-redefine-rape/

So if you’ve been beaten up and raped, you can have an abortion – but if you gave in to avoid injury, or if your attacker left no marks, or you are a traumatised 14-year-old being repeatedly abused by your father, you can’t.

All Akin has done is some hearts & flowers stuff about how sorry he feels for all the women raped and abused every year and how he will make sure their attackers are brought to justice. But he has offered no support for the women themselves, either to help them end their pregnancies or – tellingly – to provide financial and emotional support if they choose to continue the pregnancies as he would like.

And having failed to change his tune in any meaningful way, he then changed the subject. Politician to the core.

He’s the lowest form of life. But what appals me is that he is ahead in the polls – so presumably there are a lot of Americans who think like him.

And while we are on the subject of low forms of life, just look at who partnered him in his attempt to restrict Federal funding to abortion for “forcible rape”. One Paul Ryan – who has just distanced himself from that by joining with Romney in condemning Akin’s remarks. Don’t you just love it when politicians abandon their principles and throw their colleagues to the wolves in order to get elected?

2. Chris

The reason why there hasn’t been a full apology with a complete explanation over what he was trying to say is that he meant every word he said.

His stance on “legitimate” or “forcible” rape is appalling to me but I’m even more worried about his idea that women can chose not to get pregnant is they are raped. This guy is trying to pass legislation on abortion and he clearly has no idea about human biology. It is worrying to see someone this ill informed making decisions that will effect thousands of women.

If he was an engineer I’d stay away from any bridge that he’d designed.

3. Dissident

Roll on the day when Neuroscience advances to the point where we can download – from the victim’s mind – EXACTLY how rape feels into the minds of both rapists and their apologists! Or having to go through an abortion, or anything else for that matter.

If scum like this literally felt the reality, would they continue with their obnoxious posturing, or would they change their tune?

I am perfectly aware how powerful such a technology would be, and how it can be abused. The concept has been explored in various scifi books I read, Iain M Banks (matter, look to windward), Greg Bear (queen of angels) etc

Minor digression from the OP, but maybe something to ponder.

4. Jimmy

Where are all the Assange/Galloway fans on this thread?

I detect a certain inconsistency here.

5. Dan

If a comment upsets people it is a good thing, whatever the content. We deserve to have our feelings hurt because, as a species, we are bastards.

6. Chaise Guevara

@ 5 Dan

“If a comment upsets people it is a good thing, whatever the content. We deserve to have our feelings hurt because, as a species, we are bastards.”

So your solution to perceived species-wide bastardry is to encourage people to be bastards? I see a flaw here. You obviously enjoy a bit of self-flagellation, but that doesn’t make it ok for other people to be hurt.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Colin-Roy Hunter

    Liberal Conspiracy – Republican back-pedals on “legitimate rape” after outrage http://t.co/tgoCaUcZ

  2. Andrew Allen

    Republican back-tracks on “legitimate rape” comments after outrage http://t.co/kj586Yyg

  3. Janet Graham

    Senior Republican back-pedals on “legitimate rape” after outrage http://t.co/AB5kMXzY – reports @sazza_jay

  4. Alexandra Singer

    please may they never get into power please http://t.co/o7JKfo3a

  5. Geoffrey

    Senior Republican back-pedals on “legitimate rape” after outrage http://t.co/AB5kMXzY – reports @sazza_jay

  6. Sarah McAlpine

    Whilst you're over at @libcon, check out my debut article- 'Republican back-pedals on "legitimate rape"' http://t.co/dWrY2lZK

  7. sunny hundal

    Whilst you're over at @libcon, check out my debut article- 'Republican back-pedals on "legitimate rape"' http://t.co/dWrY2lZK

  8. Dan Clegg

    Whilst you're over at @libcon, check out my debut article- 'Republican back-pedals on "legitimate rape"' http://t.co/dWrY2lZK

  9. Paul Burgin

    Whilst you're over at @libcon, check out my debut article- 'Republican back-pedals on "legitimate rape"' http://t.co/dWrY2lZK

  10. Megan Radclyffe

    RT @libcon: Republican back-tracks on "legitimate rape" controversy http://t.co/JRA0RABi #noshitsherlock

  11. hotrodngold

    If this asshat and his cohorts get elected, fuck my remaining years of school /and/ my debt- I'm moving to Canada. http://t.co/qIiZRmIr

  12. Nybors

    If this asshat and his cohorts get elected, fuck my remaining years of school /and/ my debt- I'm moving to Canada. http://t.co/qIiZRmIr





Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.