◼ Have women evolved to protect themselves from sexual assault? - Jesse Bering/SLATE Magazine
◼ Mo. congressman defies GOP leaders to stay in race - AP
Rep. Todd Akin defied the nation's top Republicans Tuesday to forge ahead with his besieged Senate campaign, declaring that GOP leaders were overreacting by abandoning him because of comments that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in cases of "legitimate rape."
Akin pledged to carry on with his quest to unseat Democrat Claire McCaskill. But his bid faced tall obstacles: a lack of money, a lack of party support and no assurance that his apologies would be enough to heal a self-inflicted political wound.
...He provoked a political uproar when he was asked in the KTVI interview whether his general opposition to abortion extends to women who have been raped.
"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 said.
In the apology video posted Tuesday on YouTube, Akin acknowledged that rape can lead to pregnancy, adding: "The mistake I made was in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness."
◼ Romney tells Akin to go - Stephen Dinan/The Washington Times
◼ Are GOP Efforts To Oust Todd Akin Hurting Romney? - Sasha Issenberg /SLATE
◼ Abortion and Rape - Judge Andrew Napolitano/Townhall
◼ When a horrific rape leads to an innocent life - Timothy P. Carney/Washington Examiner @tpcarney
◼ Akin's 'rape' gaffe beats Biden's 'chains' for TV coverage - Paul Bedard/Washington Examiner
