Yesterday, in an interview with the Springfield News-Leader’s editorial board, Todd Akin was pressed repeatedly to answer for his controversial beliefs that have roiled his candidacy and alienated women voters in particular. Specifically noteworthy was Akin’s refusal to answer a tough question about his view that emergency contraception -- a high dose of birth control that can prevent a pregnancy from taking place -- should be criminalized, even for survivors of rape and incest.
“Todd Akin is right to be ashamed about his extreme positions, and women in Missouri are right to be offended at Akin’s deeply held belief that he knows what’s best for a rape survivor in the hospital,” said Caitlin Legacki, McCaskill for Missouri spokeswoman. “Todd Akin’s extreme beliefs on women’s issues are well established and deeply unpopular, and clamming up now won’t earn Akin any votes after saying he’d criminalize the option of emergency contraception for survivors of rape and incest.”
On Todd Akin’s first day as a general election candidate, he took to conservative airwaves to tell Missouri women that he does not believe that they should have access to emergency contraception even in cases of rape and incest. Appearing on KCMO radio in Kansas City, Akin said that he believes that the morning-after pill is a form of abortion and that he would outlaw it.
Yesterday, however, he refused to answer the question when it was posed as a more personal hypothetical. From the News-Leader’s coverage of Akin’s interview:
Throughout the hour, Akin addressed several platform issues. But he refused to answer repeated questions about his controversial statements on rape and pregnancy.
At one point, a reader-submitted question asked Akin if he would oppose the use of emergency contraception if his daughter was impregnated after a rape.
“Look, I’ve answered this question repeatedly,” Akin said. “I’m not going to go plowing over ground that I’ve already done for a number of weeks. I’ve been all over the different answers to that question.”
During an Aug. 19 television interview, Akin said women who are the victims of a “legitimate rape” rarely become pregnant because their bodies have a way to “shut that whole thing down.”
BACKGROUND:
Akin Said the Morning-After Pill Should Be Banned in All Circumstances, Including Rape and Incest. In an interview with Greg Knapp on the KCMO Morning Show in August 2012, Akin was asked if he believed the morning-after pill should be banned including in cases of rape and incest. Akin responded, “As far as I'm concerned the morning-after pill is a form of abortion. I think we just shouldn't have abortion in this country.” Knapp then asked, “Just to be clear though. You would like to ban the morning-after pill totally for everyone?” Akin responded, “Yeah, I think that's a form of abortion and I don't support it.” [Akin interview on the KCMO Morning Show, 8/8/12]
No comments:
Post a Comment