Despite ‘Legitimate Rape’ Comment, Todd Akin Could Win Senate Bid

Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri addresses the media in August, confirming his plans to remain in Missouri’s U.S. Senate race despite a political uproar over remarks he made about rape and pregnancy. (AP/Sid Hastings)

The Daily Beast is calling Missouri Republican Congressman Todd Akin “Lazarus,” because he seems to have risen from the political dead after his bogus claim that a woman’s body could somehow prevent pregnancy in what he called “legitimate rape.”

Akin apologized for the remark, but refused to drop out, even after Republican leaders asked him to bow out.

Now some polls are showing that Akin’s pulled ahead of sitting Senator Claire McCaskill.

No ‘Legitimate Rape’ Reference In Debate

The candidates met for their second and final debate last night, and no one brought up the “legitimate rape” comment.

McCaskill hit Akin on his opposition to the minimum wage, his support for turning Medicare into a voucher program and his objections to federally-backed student loans. She also accused him of not paying his female staffers as much as men over the past 12 years.

St. Louis Beacon reporter Jo Mannies investigated that claim. She reported that according to Akin’s campaign, during the last financial quarter, women staffers have been paid more than men. They had no comment about the pay over the full 12 years.

Akin blasted McCaskill by saying she was too tied to President Barack Obama and government spending. He also referred to his claim that McCaskill’s husband made $39 million in low-income housing subsidies thanks to projects in which he has a business interest.

Fact checkers have discredited that accusation, but voters might be listening, as some polls show Akin has the lead.

The Republican group, Citizens United Victory Fund by Wenzel Strategies, released a poll showing Akin up by four points over McCaskill, 49 to 45 percent.

Sen. McCaskill released an internal poll this week showing she had a 14-point lead.

Money And Mailers

Even though Sen. McCaskill didn’t mention Akin’s “legitimate rape” comment in the debate, she is hammering it in campaign ads, and a Democratic SuperPAC has found a unique way to remind voters about it.

American Bridge 21ST Century is spending $37,000 on talking mailers. They work like those singing greeting cards. When you open it up, an audio recording plays Todd Akin making his infamous remark. (You can see what the mailer looks and sounds like in the video below.)

Meantime, here’s an ad from Akin’s campaign calling McCaskill “corrupt.”

Akin has asked Republicans for help, but so far, the only major figures to give support are Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee.

Akin has become so upset with the Republican establishment that Thursday night, he issued a press release blasting Republican leaders for their lack of support.

Akin plastered the release with photos of Republican leaders and said if he lost the race, they would be responsible.

Meanwhile, new fundraising information came out Thursday showing that McCaskill has a four-to-one fundraising advantage over Akin going into the last weeks of the campaign.

St. Louis Beacon: Akin, McCaskill add zingers to broadcast faceoff — but no talk about ‘legitimate rape’
St. Louis Public Radio: McCaskill And Akin Square Off In Final Debate

Guest:

Jo Mannies, political reporter for the St. Louis Beacon.

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

Eugene Hamptons

That’s because no one but the moronic Democrits tried to make something out of nothing. The Left has lost it, constantly whining and crying over everything, using absurd arguments as if everyone was as clueless as they are. The liberal press and the left have much in common…. deluded and irrelevant, essentially a joke. Like this article, a disgrace to fact and a remarkable lack of pride.
- jefe68
  
  Your title says it all. You are the poster boy for the ugly American.
barbara corley

I am also an American of legitimate immigrants Eugene and I am appalled by the lack of disgust you feel for a point of view that is clearly misogynistic. The Todd Akins of the world need to be drummed out of politics because they are representatives of ALL Americans. If that kind of attitude is allowed to exist in the halls of justice, then we have lost the best of what makes our nation great: namely, the ability to CHANGE. Women make up half the nation. We are your mothers, sisters, daughters, doctors, lawyers, and friends. It’s not about Republican or Democrat; It’s about respect.
- http://profile.yahoo.com/6IOQOMEAH47V3VRTMQAJRMBFSY Jack S
  
  Abortion is horrible. You should be disturbed by the killing of little babies.
  
  Not all women want abortions.
  - barbara corley
    
    WTF??? We are talking about rape, not babies, Jack. My position on a woman’s right to choose has nothing to do with a Congressman’s position on a woman’s ability to spontaneously prevent pregnancy when she is raped. It’s so easy to express concern for the possibility of life, because it comes with no real responsibility on your part, hence no courage.
J Frog

Mr Aiken has apologized. That’s good enough for me….unless he has a history such comments. I haven’t heard any evidence that he has made similar comments. Now let’s decide who is better based on their positions on real issues like the economy.
- barbara corley
  
  I’m not even certain I would consider that an apology. You have to do more than show remorse for the comment made, but accept the ignorance inherent in the issue. Surely, with all the news about the Boy Scouts of America and the Sandusky scandal, we can begin to move the discussion of sexual violence beyond myths (it only happens to women, they were asking for it, etc.) and address the real threat societal ignorance has on the innocent. A man who sits on the Congressional Science Committee, should at least lose his position of power on the committee if not his job. I can’t even touch the notion you raise that it isn’t a “real issue.”
  - J Frog
    
    ‘Appearing on former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee’s radio show, Akin said rape is “never legitimate.” “It’s an evil act. It’s committed by violent predators,” Akin said. “I used the wrong words the wrong way.”
    
    “Evil act…never legitimate?”….Sounds like an apology to me. Plenty of other guys who did/said much worse things and their apologies were accepted: Robert Byrd, Strom Thurmond, Ted Kennedy, etc.
    - barbara corley
      
      Your comment that it isn’t as real an issue as the economy says too much about you for me to continue to discuss semantics. What works for you by qualifying the apology to prove your point just doesn’t do it for me. He deserves to lose his position of power.
    - http://www.facebook.com/kimberly.watkins.779 Kimberly Watkins
      
      If it’s a “legitimate” rape, it’s my understanding that the body has a way to shut that whole thing down. Meaning you won’t get pregnant if you were legitimately raped. In the meantime there is ALL sorts of legislation trying to be passed, like the personhood amendment and redefining rape by adding “forcible” rape. This means if your wife, girlfriend, Daughter is raped-don’t expect her to get contaceptive that can prevent her from getting pregnant, don’t expect her to have the choice to terminate the pregnancy-she WILL be carrying her rapist child. If your truly “sorry” or “mis-spoke” than you don’t sponsor bills and try to pass legislation that create the above situation. If you support his agenda, that’s fine, stand up for it then, but don’t pretend that you don’t know what his agenda is
- http://www.facebook.com/kimberly.watkins.779 Kimberly Watkins
  
  No, him and his buddies are just sponsoring bills and passing legislation to redefine rape and make ALL abortions illegal-yes including victims of rape and incest-they are also targeting denying access to emergency contraception being given to victims-they support the personhood amendment. He’s not sorry, it’s what he believes. It’s fine if you agree that woman and children should be forced to carry the child of their rapist, but you should be clear on who your supporting. It’s really not an oh well, he might be good on the economy kind of issue.
jefe68

This proves to me how stupid some, well a lot of Americans are that they would vote this man into office. He sits on the House Congressional Science Committee along with some other winners who are so against the ideas of modern science that it really does bring into question the intelligence of men such as Akin and I don’t know about the people of Missouri, but I like my representatives to at least have some intelligence.

Todd Akin represents the extremist and regressive policies of his party.
http://profile.yahoo.com/6IOQOMEAH47V3VRTMQAJRMBFSY Jack S

McCaskill’s ads take a few words and twist them into something that Akin never said. This women is the most vile of all types of politicians.

I live in Missouri — McCaskill ran ads for each of her opponents in the primaries. The ads sounded like they were by the candidate and not her except for her tag at the end. She choose Akin as the candidate that she would most like to run against by saying in the ads that he was the most conservative.

She manipulates people. She is not the type of person any state would want as their Senator.