Five years ago- Todd Akin hands Claire McCaskill the U. S. Senate race

August 19 will mark the fifth anniversary of the day Congressman Todd Akin handed his Democratic opponent incumbent Claire McCaskill a victory in the U. S. Senate race.

Akin was answering a question on abortion when he gave an answer that was, to put it mildly, less than scientific:

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.

McCaskill had already manipulated the GOP primary by launching attack ads against Akin, claiming he was too conservative. That sounded all right to the Republican base, so it gave Akin the victory in a three-way race with businessman John Brunner and former State Treasurer Sarah Steelman.

In observance of the five-year anniversary of Akin's controversial statement, I once again offer my 2012 song, Akin Breakin' Heart.