Is Akin really out of the Republican mainstream?

[maddezmom]

Our view: Missouri candidate's highly offensive remarks regarding 'legitimate' rape expose serious political vulnerability for the GOP

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That's because it has once again shown that some members of the GOP are not only insensitive to women but downright hostile toward them. And party leaders clearly know it because some of the loudest condemnations have come from fellow Republicans. It seemingly took only a matter of nanoseconds for the National Republican Senatorial Committee to announce the organization was withdrawing support for Mr. Akin to the tune of at least $5 million. When Karl Rove's American Crossroads super PAC pulls its support, as happened a day later, you know something's up.

But here's the problem. Mitt Romney may have called the Akin quote insulting and inexcusable, but how far is it really straying from GOP doctrine on women's issues, particularly when it comes to their reproductive rights? Rep. Paul Ryan, Mr. Romney's choice as running mate, was co-sponsor of a bill that proudly used the term "forcible rape" in limiting the exceptions to the rule against federal funding for abortions. "Legitimate rape" and "forcible rape" sound pretty closely related, and both seem suspiciously like they must have been coined by people who believe women are prone to lying about being violated in the most humiliating way possible.

Meanwhile, Republicans have been busily approving limits on abortion rights state-by-state whenever an opening presents itself. Recently, the House approved a ban on abortion at 20 weeks in the District of Columbia that would have included victims of rape and incest. And just this week in Tampa, the party's platform committee approved a plank calling for a Constitutional amendment banning all abortions with no exception for rape and incest mentioned.

So what exactly are Mr. Romney and party leaders unhappy about — that one of their own used indelicate terminology or junk science? Sorry, but the party's positions on women's reproductive rights and the rights of rape victims are fair game even if they make Republicans look like a bunch of Neanderthals (no offense to cavemen, by the way).

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Why the GOP wants to offend more than half of registered voters and prove itself soft on violent crime to boot is beyond understanding. But such is the path that a party captured by anti-abortion extremists has chosen to take.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-rape-20120821,0,505978.story

[riverbendviewgal]

1. The rest of the world is laughing at America

and its ignorance.

They are being the same religious extremists like in the Mid East and Afghanistan....Seems there is no difference to me.

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Nope, he is the mainstream, Senatorial nominee is as mainstream as it gets....

He is a legislative partner of the Vice Presidential nominee as well. Main stream as it gets.