Akin’s Rape Comments Stir Up Controversy

Missouri’s GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin is facing a wave of criticism for comments he made during an interview about pregnancies caused by rape.

Akin is a Tea Party candidate challenging Democrat Claire McCaskill.

Speaking during an interview on Fox2’s Jaco Report, Akin was asked if he would support abortion in cases when a woman was raped.

As you can see in the video, Akin replied that pregnancies caused by rape are rare and that women have some kind of biological defense to prevent pregnancy.

“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,” said Akin.

Akin said he felt the punishment for rape should be focused on the rapist and not "attacking the child."

Akin’s opponent, Democrat Claire McCaskill, said she was “outraged” and called Akin's comments “ignorant” and insensitive.

More on Akin's "controversial" comments:

-As Garance Franke-Ruta writes at The Atlantic, the fallacy that "legitimate rape" does not cause pregnancy has been used before for anti-abortion arguments.

-Josh Kraushaar at the National Journal wonders if Akin is "toast" in Missouri.

-Politico reports that "conservative outside-spending powerhouse" Crossroads GPS is pulling its ads from the Missouri Senate race in the wake of Akin's comments.