Missouri U.S. senate candidate Todd Akin has flushed the quail. Birds are scattering every which direction. Thanks to his brutish language the republicans are now dealing with an issue they would have just as soon stayed mum about.
To say Akin is an aberration in the GOP is completely misleading. He just had the misfortune, or, perhaps more accurately, the stupidity, to brag about the party's stated position on the question of a woman's choice. Take away the bizarre notion that a woman's body can shut down an unwanted pregnancy plus the whole legitimate vs illegitimate thing, he didn't say a thing that Paul Ryan would disagree with
NBC News has reported that the current draft of the republican party platform calls for a "Human Life Amendment" to the constitution which outlaws ALL abortion no matter what the circumstances. This particular plank of the platform would fit right in with Paul Ryan's philosophy, but would be at odds with Mitt Romney's stance that the government should allow women to receive abortions in the case of rape, incest, or danger to their lives.
It is the type of conundrum that causes foreign observers to scratch their heads and wander away in a daze. Republican National Committee chairman, Reince Priebus tried to explain it this way. "This is the platform of the republican party," he said, "it is not the platform of Mitt Romney." Ah, well that clears it up. The republican party's nominee and the party itself are separate entities and really don't have anything to do with each other. I understand the concept I suppose, although I keep getting this picture in my head of the old Soviet Union putting Ray Kroc in charge of the politburo.
Priebus went on to say that, "I really don't buy the fact that a pro abortion stance means you're pro women. I think the pro life position is a positive for us with women." Yeah, well try that line on the mother of a fourteen year old girl who has become pregnant by a drooling serial rapist. There is a reason Obama enjoys a large lead among women voters and it isn't just his looks.
Meanwhile our pal Todd claims he is in it for the long haul. He has apologized for his wording, not his content and he is pushing onward. Good luck, congressman.
Look for Clair McCaskill, the incumbent democrat, to begin running ads about every ten minutes that show dozens of republicans from near and far saying Akin is completely unfit for office.
Actually that is the least of Brother Akin's problems. It is being reported that the GOP National Senatorial Committee is putting a stop on the $5 million it was going to donate to the Missouri senate race if Akin doesn't get out. In addition Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS has all ready pulled pro Akin ads scheduled to begin tomorrow. You know you've hit a new moral low when you've pissed off the likes of Karl Rove. You also know you can't run a campaign with out cash.
Yes, if the money goes, Akin is done. In fact the GOP movers and shakers can't get rid of him fast enough. They want all this pro choice, pro life talk to stop immediately. It won't happen with him hanging around the streets of St. Louis handing out campaign buttons to the homeless.
It has been a rough couple of days for the republicans, although not necessarily the Romney-Ryan duo. It could get that way though, especially if the democrats begin to hammer Ryan specifically and the GOP in general on the issue of a woman's right to choose. They have painted themselves into a corner over the question and there is no where to run, or hide.
Duck and cover, Mitt. It is just about all you can do with this one. And you have no one to blame except those clowns who didn't vote for you in the primaries in the first place. Those cases of Zantac you ordered are being loaded onto the trucks as I type. You probably want to stay away from the roughage for a while.
8-21-12
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