Two weeks ago, Claire McCaskill’s prospects for a second Senate term looked dubious. Moderate St. Louis Republican and private businessman John Brunner was leading in the Republican primary and preliminary polls showed him likely to beat McCaskill in a general election matchup.
But then things began to happen on the way to the forum. In full defiance of the “Buckley Rule” (vote not for the most conservative candidate, but the most conservative candidate who can actually get elected), Missouri Republicans bypassed Brunner, bypassed Sarah Steelman and made U.S. Rep. Todd Akin their choice.
On Sunday, Akin showed his party the wisdom behind Mr. Buckley’s “rule.”
During a KTVI-TV interview on Charles Jaco’s “The Jaco Report,” Akin was asked if he would support abortions for women who have been raped.
Akin said: “It seems to me, 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.”
Akin added that if “that (the body shutting down), 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.”
Later Sunday, Akin released a statement saying that he “misspoke” during the interview, though the statement did not say specifically which points he “misspoke” about, what doctors he was citing or what he meant by “legitimate” rape.
Abortion is a very polarizing topic. We find absolutely nothing legitimate regarding Akin’s comments. We find Akin’s understanding of the human anatomy and the depth of ignorance in such a thought process outright offensive.
There was a time in this country when a man’s word was his bond and his honor sacred.
If it were up to us, Mr. Akin would reach deep into his soul and do the honorable thing. He should drop out of the race and open the door for a legitimate candidate.
But it’s not up to us. It’s up to the voters of Missouri, and it will be they who ultimately decide.
Opinion
Our View: Akin's comments spark legitimate outrage
- Opinion
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Other Views: Conflicts in SEC
Money talks. In the continuing dispute over the all-too-cozy relationship between the people who create and sell financial products and the people who rate their risk, the money says: Shut up and let us do what we want.
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Phill Brooks, columnist: Missouri Senate did what Founding Fathers had in mind
George Washington once described the Senate as being like a saucer in which you pour coffee or tea.
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Our View: Fixing failure
Some 1,200 injured workers will finally get the payments they are owed. In its final week in session, Missouri’s General Assembly, through bipartisan efforts, passed a solution to address the insolvency of the state’s Second Injury Fund.
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Herb B. Kuhn, guest columnist: Delaying Medicaid reform could hurt rural Missouri
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Kevin Wilson, guest columnist: When fear wins out, so do the terrorists
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Sandie Morgan, guest columnist: Unions benefit workers more than they may know
In a recent guest column (Globe, May 14), Elliott Denniston made the case for Missouri not to become a right-to-work state, and he made this case very well.
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Marta Mossburg, columnist: Maybe government is tyrannical after all
Less than two weeks ago President Obama stood in front of graduates from The Ohio State University and told them to reject those who warn of government tyranny.
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Our View: Spying on us
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Our View: Pass on the legacy
Forty hungry members of the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry began gathering corn at the Rader farm near the village of Sherwood when they were ambushed by a guerrilla band of about 70 Southern sympathizers.
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Our View: Big Brother looms large
The federal government, working under the cloak of secrecy, has been having a heyday at the expense of all Americans.
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