When the Missouri Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin declared that victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant because “if it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan immediately tried to distance themselves from Akin’s offensive comments.
But, try as they may, they cannot run away from their own position.
Every piece of legislation introduced in the House in recent years limiting a women's right to choose, even for victims of rape and incest, has been sponsored by guess who – Todd Akin and Paul Ryan.
When Ryan joined with Akin and tried to limit the definition of “rape” to “forcible rape,” what exactly do you think they were trying to do, other than to determine “rape legitimacy” and create more barriers for rape survivors seeking justice?
When Mitt Romney recently endorsed “personhood amendments” in a number of states limiting a women's right to choose, even for victims of rape and incest, he too revealed his support of Akin’s attitude.
In fact, Akin’s point of view is the prevailing position of the Republican Party. According to news reports, the draft of the GOP's 2012 party platform, once again, calls for a band on abortion with no exceptions for rape and incest.
If the Fourth Estate does its job and ask the right questions, Romney and Ryan will never be able to distance themselves from themselves.
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