UK: "legitimate rape" Congressman under pressure

The Guardian


Cartoon by TOLES of the Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/toles?hpid=z3

Todd Akin defiant as support withdrawn over 'legitimate rape' claims

Party leaders mount pressure on Senate candidate as Republicans refuse to back Akin financially despite apology

By Ewen MacAskill

The Republican party leadership has withdrawn financial and political support from a US congressman who is refusing to resign from a Senate race in Missouri after claiming that "legitimate rape" rarely leads to pregnancy.

As pressure mounted from all sides, Todd Akin, chosen last week as Republican candidate in the closely-fought challenge for the Senate in Missouri, apologised for his remarks but refused to step aside.
"I'm not a quitter," he said on a radio show hosted by former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. "By the grace of God, we're going to win this race."

He added that the people who had elected him knew he was not perfect and that just because someone made a mistake, it "doesn't make them useless". No-one had called him to suggest he drop out, he said.
His defiance came in spite of criticism from senior Republicans, including White House challenger Mitt Romney and senator John Cornyn, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which provides funding for candidates. Barack Obama also denounced his remarks.

Read it at The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/20/todd-akin-defiant-leaders-withdraw-support