Representative Todd Akin on "legitimate rape"
Quote of the day.
By New Statesman Published 20 August 2012 8:26
Todd Akin speaks at the 58th National Prayer Breakfast in 2010. Photograph: Getty Images
“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin told KTVI-TV. “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 of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”
Representative Todd Akin, who is a Republican candidate for Senate in Missouri, on rape. He has since issued a statement clarifying his remarks.
Latest tweets
More from New Statesman
- Online writers:
- Steven Baxter
- Rowenna Davis
- David Allen Green
- Mehdi Hasan
- Nelson Jones
- Gavin Kelly
- Helen Lewis
- Laurie Penny
- The V Spot
- Alex Hern
- Martha Gill
- Alan White
- Samira Shackle
- Alex Andreou
- Nicky Woolf in America
- Bim Adewunmi
- Glosswitch
- Kate Mossman on pop
- Ryan Gilbey on Film
- Martin Robbins
- Rafael Behr
- Eleanor Margolis
- Tools and services:
- Polls
- Predictions
- Archive
- Magazine
- PDF edition
- RSS feeds
- Advertising
- Subscribe
- Special supplements
- Stockists





















8 comments
Here's another breaking story about the GOP sexual predators....
"An investigation into the , er… “affairs” of State Assemblyman Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) determined that he had sexually harassed two young, female staffers, leading to his censure on the Assembly floor. More ethics investigations are underway, this time into the involvement of the Assembly Speaker, Sheldon Silver.
The NOW and Common Cause, a government transparency group, submitted a formal complaint, calling for a probe into Mr. Silver’s approval of a secret $100,000 taxpayer-funded payment to settle accusations by female employees against Assemblyman Vito Lopez". Hotair.com.
Oh wait, it's a NY Democrat! Nevermind...
Romney has gone on record, dismissing the comment, Obama hasn't commented yet, still tied up being interviewed by local radio stations about his favorite color...
Why should Obama respond to what Akin said? Akin isn't embarrassing (or showing the true colors of) his party. I'm not sure if you know this, but the President of America doesn't sit around all day..unless his last name is Bush and in that case it's his weekly vacation to Camp David.
You know, you are right, the expectation bar is set low for the obama. Heck, Barry won't even comment or reign in his VP Crazy Joe Biden with his racial remarks! And, Barry has played 100 rounds of golf (June 2012) vs W Bush playing 24 times in 8 years. obummer is gonna lose, and bad...
Why should President Obama feel the need to comment on any and every ignorant assed statements that GOP idiots make? You are pathetic.
I think the next local station asked him about which super hero he would want to be. I kid you not. I think he was then off to play a round on the links...Nice...
No doubt this all happened after Jesus played with dinosaurs as a child.
Yet another heartless, dead-eyed Republican thug - is there a factory somewhere in Alabama churning them out?