Rep. Todd Akin continued his major-networks apology tour on Wednesday, facing a firestorm for his comment that 'legitimate rape' does not usually lead to pregnancy.
To date, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney has refused to be drawn on the controversy but both he and his running mate Paul Ryan have publicly called for the Missouri politician to step aside.
During an interview on NBC’s Today this week, Akin confirmed that Ryan personally telephoned him to urge him to withdraw from the race.
'He advised me that it would be good for me to step down,' Akin told NBC. 'I told him that I was going to be looking at this very seriously, trying to weigh all of the different points on this and that I would make the decision.'
But according to the Daily News, to date Akin has remained defiant in the face of all calls for him to drop out of the Missouri U.S. Senate race.
Behind the scenes Republicans have reportedly been pressuring Akin to voluntarily withdraw from the race and allow the GOP to replace him with a less controversial candidate against Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill.
Akin is refusing to go quietly however. Speaking on Sean Hannity’s radio program on Tuesday, he sniped at Mitt Romney directly saying, 'Why couldn’t he run his race and I’ll run mine?'
It is not right for the Republican elite in Washington to overrule the wishes of the Missouri Republicans who voted for him in the Senate primary, Akin added.
Meanwhile he reiterated that his controversial comments about rape at the weekend were an isolated mistake.
'The word 'legitimate' never has a good reason to be standing next to the word 'rape' he told NBC.
He also admitted that he had offered medical evidence that was entirely wrong.
'I was medically wrong. Yes, pregnancy can happen as a result of rape,' he said.
Meanwhile, Akin has confirmed that he will skip the GOP convention in Tampa next week, at the request of top Republicans.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.seanomelb | Aug 29, 2012, 07:31 PM EDT
Nicely put Ephraim
EphraimKibbey | Aug 27, 2012, 09:54 PM EDT
@jacersagain and @seanomelb - Since Akin and Ryan cosponsered a bill in which the term "Forcible Rape" was used to separate rape into legitimate and illegitimate catagories for abortion exemption, it is reasonable to assume that Akin used "legitimate" as a synonym for "forcible." His point was that he believed that in such a rape, the woman would naturally be protected from conceiving by her own body. This belief stems from laws during the middle ages as passed on by Dr Willke of Cincinnati, Ohio, a 2008 Romney surrogate. Akin, Ryan and Willke have divided rape into such catagories in order to deny rape victims the right to choose to have an abortion. They developed a fabulous "Catch 22" system in which abortions are denied to women who conceive after a rape because the fact that they conceived nullifes the intercourse as rape. Pretty slick! Statutory rape is not rape in their view if the female child did not fight her rapist. The fact that the child conceived would be proof that she did not fight. Ryan only started saying "Rape is rape" after the Akin error of speaking what they both actually believe. Note that the anti-abortion wing of the GOP still fully supports Akin as his views are theirs.
jacersagain | Aug 26, 2012, 06:55 AM EDT
Seano, I never said that you were hollow. I said that I believe you are a good person but living with atheistic hollowness. As for proof of God, why don’t you google up on miracles – try “A recent Miracle in Egypt”, or visit listverse(dot)com for more miracles proving the existence of the very Entity that you and fellow atheists continue to deny. You might also google for “A plague of Atheists has descended and Catholics are the target”, written by an Australian man called Greg Craven. May our God go with you and yours.
seanomelb | Aug 26, 2012, 12:37 AM EDT
Jacer I have no problem with my atheism and I live a full and happy life. My mind is free of all that mysticism and belief in( man) written books about something they have never seen or touched and I include all religions not just Catholicism.If you wish to believe in Some "mystic being" thats your call and your right. I do not consider you hollow because of your beliefs and to refer to me as "hollow" smacks of a little intolerance or arrogance, your call. One should not have to believe in "GOD" to love and honour one's fellow human being,One's conscience should dictate love and honour.
jacersagain | Aug 25, 2012, 08:02 AM EDT
Seano, I agree with you in that Rep. Akin didn’t have Mr. Garrow on his mind when he uttered those unsustainable words. I saw and listened to what he said on TV and how he said them. I think he was thinking like I suggested below but got his expression of words wrong. “Legitimate rape” doesn’t exist, so he couldn’t have meant to say those words - but “legally-defined rape” does. I think that’s what he meant to say. I don’t know Akin, never heard of him before and so I cannot be influenced to think like him. Does that answer your begged question? And anyway, I don’t think he’s a bit ignorant about rape and childbirth. PS - Have you got around to my suggestion to you to visit a tabernacle near you and re-discover your Catholicism? No, you haven’t, ye impish divil of an oul’ man. But I know that every time you do pass a Catholic Church in Oz, you’ll think of what I suggested. What will St. Peter say t’ya soon at the Pearly Gates? What begging excuse will you offer to him? There’s still time for you to capitulate on your mistakes, should while alive. No one can help you on earth if you still deny God exists but, listen pal, you can take comfort in the dying words of the newest female Doctor of the Catholic Church, St. Theresa of Lisieux… that when she got to Heaven, only then would her true mission begin - for people in denial of God like you on earth. Good luck Seano… I wish you well; I think you’re a good person but one living with that atheist hollowness. Maybe it’s time for you to be once again akin w/ your fellow-baptised Catholics around the world, especially those you see going to Mass in Oz.
seanomelb | Aug 25, 2012, 12:03 AM EDT
That begs the question Jacer what was akin thinking ?? I bet it had nothing to do with Garrow and all to do with his ignorance of rape and childbirth. You may excuse him,then maybe you think alike.
jacersagain | Aug 24, 2012, 11:44 PM EDT
I am an ordinary man. I understand ordinary speech expressed by other people, whether they’re ordinary or extra-ordinary people. Mr. Akin uttered the words “Legitimate rape”. No such thing exists, as everybody knows, so his comment is, or should be, easily dismissible by ordinary people. What I think Akin meant was “legally-defined rape”. (American English vs English English speak? What would Mr. William Garrow, the British lawyer who transformed English law into a proper justice-based law, think and behave in a modern court if he were alive today? Don't forget that all modern legal systems, including American, Australian and Irish systems are based on Mr. Garrow's successful efforts for proper justice). I’ve made many a slip of the tongue in my life and professional career and I’ve been forgiven them. I think Mr. Akin can be excused and forgiven for his slip of the tongue and allowed to carry on with his own chosen career, not forced out. Mr. Garrow, if he were alive today, would probably approve of this comment of mine supporting Mr. Akin on ICentral. In fact, Mr. Garrow would probably take on any case against Mr. Akin over his wrongly spoken words for free, knowing that he would, in justice, win for Mr. Akin.
mairint | Aug 24, 2012, 08:48 PM EDT
Bostonrugby, the reason IC writes this rubbish is because they cannot tolerate a pro-life attitude. Never mind Akin's misuse of words and that was a most stupid remark - as of course real men do not support rape. Pro lifers help young pregnant mothers with accommodation, clothes, money. It is the pro-aborts who try to have homes for those mothers shut down (e.g. a certain Mayor of the Big Apple) Real men treat women properly and if a pregnancy outside marriage occurs, real men do not force the mother to kill their child. Problem is IC is a radical pro-abort 'news' blog and will 'hang' anyone running for office who is pro-life.
seanomelb | Aug 24, 2012, 05:57 PM EDT
You hang in there Akin the Clare needs your crap to prove what an idiot you are and give you a hiding in the the fall.
bostonrugby | Aug 24, 2012, 11:46 AM EDT
Todd Akin remotely related to the famous Irish Freedom fighter Frank Aiken?? (I hope not). This is the only way this story could be relevant to this article as IC grasps at anything remotely Irish American.