Akin is up with an ad asking for forgiveness: “Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way. And for that I apologize. As the father of two daughters, I want tough justice for predators. I have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault. And I pray for them. Fact is: rape can lead to pregnancy. Truth is: rape has many victims. The mistake I made was in the words I said, not in the heart I hold. I ask for your forgiveness.”
“But with Akin under fire, party stalwarts are increasing pressure to get him to stand aside by 5 p.m. CT today so that another Republican can take his place on the ballot,” USA Today writes. “If he doesn't withdraw by the Tuesday deadline, then Missouri law says Akin would need a court order to be removed from the ballot and he would have to pay for reprinting of ballots.”
“The Romney campaign quickly sought to distance itself from Akin’s remarks,” the Boston Globe writes. But the Globe adds, “Last year, Ryan joined Akin as one of 227 co-sponsors of a bill that narrowed an exemption to the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding for abortions. The Hyde Amendment allows federal dollars to be used for abortions in cases of rape and incest, but the proposed bill -- authored by New Jersey Representative Christopher H. Smith -- would have limited the incest exemption to minors and covered only victims of ‘forcible rape.’ House Republicans never defined what constituted ‘forcible rape’ and what did not, but critics of the bill suggested the term could exclude women who are drugged and raped, mentally handicapped women who are coerced, and victims of statutory rape.”
And note this: “On Friday, before the Akin remarks, President Obama’s reelection campaign launched a television ad in six swing states accusing Romney and Ryan of opposing abortion ‘even in cases of rape and incest.’ On Monday, the Obama camp charged Romney and Ryan with “contradicting their own records” as they rejected Akin’s comments. In a statement, Obama spokeswoman Lis Smith referenced Ryan’s co-sponsorship of the ‘forcible rape’ bill and Romney’s stated support of a Human Life Amendment, which she said ‘would ban abortion in all instances, even in the case of rape and incest.’”
Akin is fundraising off this with Google ads popping up that say, “Stand with Todd Takin: Chip-in $3 as a sign of support for Todd Akin’s campaign today.”
The Kansas City Star also makes the point about Ryan’s sponsorship of the bill: “Akin co-sponsored a bill last year limiting federal abortion funding to cases of “forcible” rape, rather than rape generally. The bill — which had more than 200 co-sponsors, including Republican vice presidential hopeful Rep. Paul Ryan — did not become law.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch front page: “Akin under pressure.” And next to a photo of a grim-looking Romney: “As GOP revolts, Dems pounce.”
