Rape and pregnancy statement controversies in the 2012 United States elections: Difference between revisions

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==Political impact==
==Political impact==


Political analysts believe that the comments have the potential to swing the [[United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Nate|title=Akin Comments Could Swing Missouri Senate Race|url=http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/akin-comments-could-swing-missouri-senate-race/??smid=tw-nytimes|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Henneberger|first=Melinda|title=Say goodnight, Todd Akin|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/post/say-goodnight-todd-akin/2012/08/19/beb78a96-ea40-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_blog.html|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=20 August 2012}}</ref> There have been multiple calls from Republicans for him to step down as nominee. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported a "stampede" of Republicans dissociating from Akin as part of [[damage control]], with [[National Republican Senatorial Committee|NRSC]] chairman [[John Cornyn]] saying the GOP would no longer provide him Senate election funding and describing Akin as "endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-todd-akins-rape-comments-abortion-is-back-in-the-campaign-spotlight/2012/08/20/c497bae4-eac7-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html |title=National GOP pulls funding from Todd Akin’s Missouri race|last= Nia-Malika Henderson & Paul Kane|work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2012-08-20 |publisher=[[Washington Post Company]] |location=[[Washington, DC|Washington DC]] |issn=0190-8286 |accessdate=20 August 2012}}</ref> A campaign spokesman for [[Mitt Romney]] and [[Paul Ryan]] said both disagreed with Akin's position and would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. Ryan reportedly called Akin to advise him to step aside.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79929.html?hp=t2_3]</> [[RNC]] Chairman [[Reince Priebus]] warned Akin not to attend the upcoming 2012 Republican convention and said he should resign the nomination. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/aug/20/picket-rnc-chair-wants-akin-step-aside-and-not-com/]</ref>
Political analysts believe that the comments have the potential to swing the [[United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Silver|first=Nate|title=Akin Comments Could Swing Missouri Senate Race|url=http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/19/akin-comments-could-swing-missouri-senate-race/??smid=tw-nytimes|newspaper=The New York Times|date=August 19, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Henneberger|first=Melinda|title=Say goodnight, Todd Akin|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/post/say-goodnight-todd-akin/2012/08/19/beb78a96-ea40-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_blog.html|publisher=Washington Post|accessdate=20 August 2012}}</ref> There have been multiple calls from Republicans for him to step down as nominee. ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported a "stampede" of Republicans dissociating from Akin as part of [[damage control]], with [[National Republican Senatorial Committee|NRSC]] chairman [[John Cornyn]] saying the GOP would no longer provide him Senate election funding and describing Akin as "endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate".<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/with-todd-akins-rape-comments-abortion-is-back-in-the-campaign-spotlight/2012/08/20/c497bae4-eac7-11e1-a80b-9f898562d010_story.html |title=National GOP pulls funding from Todd Akin’s Missouri race|last= Nia-Malika Henderson & Paul Kane|work=[[The Washington Post]] |date=2012-08-20 |publisher=[[Washington Post Company]] |location=[[Washington, DC|Washington DC]] |issn=0190-8286 |accessdate=20 August 2012}}</ref> A campaign spokesman for [[Mitt Romney]] and [[Paul Ryan]] said both disagreed with Akin's position and would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. Ryan reportedly called Akin to advise him to step aside.<ref>[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0812/79929.html?hp=t2_3]</ref> [[RNC]] Chairman [[Reince Priebus]] warned Akin not to attend the upcoming 2012 Republican convention and said he should resign the nomination. <ref>[http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2012/aug/20/picket-rnc-chair-wants-akin-step-aside-and-not-com/]</ref>


Akin has been defended by some social conservative organisations, including the [[Family Research Council]]. A spokesman for the Council said that "We feel this is a case of gotcha politics... We know who Todd Akin is. We've worked with him up on the hill. He's a defender of life."<ref>{{cite news |url= http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/20/leading-social-conservatives-rally-to-akins-defense/ |title=Leading social conservatives rally to Akin's defense|work=[[CNN]] |date=2012-08-20 |publisher=[[CNN]] |accessdate=21 August 2012}}</ref>
Akin has been defended by some social conservative organisations, including the [[Family Research Council]]. A spokesman for the Council said that "We feel this is a case of gotcha politics... We know who Todd Akin is. We've worked with him up on the hill. He's a defender of life."<ref>{{cite news |url= http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/20/leading-social-conservatives-rally-to-akins-defense/ |title=Leading social conservatives rally to Akin's defense|work=[[CNN]] |date=2012-08-20 |publisher=[[CNN]] |accessdate=21 August 2012}}</ref>

Revision as of 13:53, 21 August 2012

The Todd Akin rape and pregnancy controversy involves comments made by U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin on August 19, 2012 and the controversy that resulted from the comments.

Comments

Todd Akin is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district and current candidate for the U.S. Senate (See United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012). In an August 19, 2012 interview aired on St. Louis television station KTVI-TV, Akin was asked his views on whether women who became pregnant due to rape should have the option of abortion. He replied:

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO)

Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. 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. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.[1]

The comment was widely criticized as being misogynist and inaccurate.[2][3][4] Related news articles cited a 1996 article in an obstetrics and gynecology journal, which found that 5% of women who were raped became pregnant, which equaled about 32,000 pregnancies each year in the US alone.[5] A separate 2003 article in the journal Human Nature estimated that rapes are twice as likely to result in pregnancies as consensual sex.[6]

Akin responded to the comments by first issuing a press release stating:

As a member of Congress, I believe that working to protect the most vulnerable in our society is one of my most important responsibilities, and that includes protecting both the unborn and victims of sexual assault. In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, 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. Those who perpetrate these crimes are the lowest of the low in our society and their victims will have no stronger advocate in the Senate to help ensure they have the justice they deserve.[7]

Political impact

Political analysts believe that the comments have the potential to swing the United States Senate election in Missouri, 2012.[8][9] There have been multiple calls from Republicans for him to step down as nominee. The Washington Post reported a "stampede" of Republicans dissociating from Akin as part of damage control, with NRSC chairman John Cornyn saying the GOP would no longer provide him Senate election funding and describing Akin as "endangering Republicans’ hopes of retaking the majority in the Senate".[10] A campaign spokesman for Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan said both disagreed with Akin's position and would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. Ryan reportedly called Akin to advise him to step aside.[11] RNC Chairman Reince Priebus warned Akin not to attend the upcoming 2012 Republican convention and said he should resign the nomination. [12]

Akin has been defended by some social conservative organisations, including the Family Research Council. A spokesman for the Council said that "We feel this is a case of gotcha politics... We know who Todd Akin is. We've worked with him up on the hill. He's a defender of life."[13]

His Senate opponent, Claire McCaskill, released a statement stating,

It is beyond comprehension that someone can be so ignorant about the emotional and physical trauma brought on by rape.....The ideas that Todd Akin has expressed about the serious crime of rape and the impact on its victims are offensive.

President Barack Obama also responded to Akin's comments by saying "Rape is rape....And the idea that we should be parsing and qualifying and slicing what types of rape we're talking about doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."[14]

Akin made two radio interviews in which he stated that he was in the race to win. On The Sean Hannity Show, he stated "I was told that there is a decision has to be made by 5 o'clock tomorrow but I was calling you and letting you know that I'm announcing today that we're (staying) in."[15] On the Mike Huckabee show he stated, "Rape is never legitimate… I used the wrong words in the wrong way."[16]

Akin's comments sparked a renewed focus on the so-called Republican "War on Women".[17][18][19][20] Political analysts have speculated that this controversy could affect the 2012 Presidential election and the chances of a Republican takeover of the US Senate.[21] It has been pointed out that Akin cosponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act,[22] which would have conferred full legal personhood on embryos beginning at fertilization or cloning, as well as bills recognizing only "forcible" rape[23][24] to narrow access to federal funding for abortions.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ Jaco, Charles. "The Jaco Report: August 19, 2012". Fox News. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  2. ^ DiSalvo, David. "Republican Senate Nominee Todd Akin: Victims Of "Legitimate Rape" Don't Get Pregnant". Forbes. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  3. ^ Abouhalkah, Yael T. "Todd Akin's rape fantasy". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  4. ^ Eligon, John. "Senate Candidate Provokes Ire With 'Legitimate Rape' Comment". Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  5. ^ Holmes, Melisa M.; Resnick, Heidi S.; Kilpatrick, Dean G.; Best, Connie L. (1996). "Rape-related pregnancy: Estimates and descriptive characteristics from a national sample of women". American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. 175 (2): 320–4, discussion 324–5. PMID 8765248. Cited in: Blake, Aaron. "Todd Akin, GOP Senate candidate: 'Legitimate rape' rarely causes pregnancy". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  6. ^ Gottschall, Jonathan A.; Gottschall, Tiffani A. (2003). "Are per-incident rape-pregnancy rates higher than per-incident consensual pregnancy rates?". Human Nature. 14: 1–20. doi:10.1007/s12110-003-1014-0. Cited in: Robillard, Kevin. "Doctors: Todd Akin pregnancy claim bogus". Politico. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  7. ^ Akin, Todd (August 19, 2012). "Akin Statement on "Jaco Report" Interview". "Todd Akin for U.S. Senate 2012" campaign website. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  8. ^ Silver, Nate (August 19, 2012). "Akin Comments Could Swing Missouri Senate Race". The New York Times.
  9. ^ Henneberger, Melinda. "Say goodnight, Todd Akin". Washington Post. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  10. ^ Nia-Malika Henderson & Paul Kane (2012-08-20). "National GOP pulls funding from Todd Akin's Missouri race". The Washington Post. Washington DC: Washington Post Company. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  11. ^ [1]
  12. ^ [2]
  13. ^ "Leading social conservatives rally to Akin's defense". CNN. CNN. 2012-08-20. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  14. ^ Condon, Stephanie. "Akin apologizes for rape comments; Obama says "rape is rape"". CBS News. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  15. ^ Haberman, Maggie. "Akin: Seriously, I am not getting out". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  16. ^ "Todd Akin Apologizes for Rape Comments in Interview With Huckabee". THe Atlantic. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  17. ^ Maxwell, Zerlina (August 20, 2012). "Todd Akin, Paul Ryan and the very real war on women". New York Daily News.
  18. ^ Robinson, Eugene (August 20, 2012). "Todd Akin's comment brings 'war on women' back to prominence". The Washington Post.
  19. ^ "Akin's comments reignite war on women". NBC News. August 20, 2012.
  20. ^ "Despite Denials Akin's Comments Are Part GOP War On Women". CBS. August 20, 2012.
  21. ^ Mahtesian, Charles. "Akin: A damage estimate". Politico. Retrieved 21 August 2012.
  22. ^ "H.R.212 -- Sanctity of Human Life Act (112th Congress)".
  23. ^ "H.R. 3 -- No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (112th Congress)".
  24. ^ "H.R. 358 -- Protect Life Act (112th Congress)".
  25. ^ http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/08/20/us-usa-politics-abortion-idINBRE87J04A20120820
  26. ^ Sargent, Greg. "How bad is the Ryan-Akin anti-abortion bill?". Retrieved 21 August 2012.
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