Rep. Phil Gingrey’s attempts to explain Todd Akin’s rape remarks are leaving many Republicans beyond frustrated that a few in their party can’t help but insert rape into the already contentious abortion debate.
“This is actually pretty simple. If you’re about to talk about rape as anything other than a brutal and horrible crime, stop,” said Republican strategist Kevin Madden, who was a senior adviser in Mitt Romney’s campaign.
On Thursday, the Georgia Republican didn’t heed that advice, telling a local Chamber of Commerce breakfast that Akin was “partially right” when he said last year that a woman can stop herself from getting pregnant.
“We tell infertile couples all the time that are having trouble conceiving because of the woman not ovulating, ‘Just relax. Drink a glass of wine. And don’t be so tense and uptight because all that adrenaline can cause you not to ovulate,’” Gingrey said.
He also said that Akin’s definition of a “non-legitimate rape” could be “a scared-to-death 15-year-old that becomes impregnated by her boyfriend and then has to tell her parents.”
The comments were reported by the Marietta Daily Journal. Gingrey later said that he wasn’t trying to defend remarks by Akin or Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, and that his position was misconstrued “in my attempt to provide context as to what I presumed they meant.”
But Gingrey’s lengthy explanation of what Akin meant was quickly circulated by Democrats, repudiated by medical groups, and had some Republicans smacking their heads in frustration.
Of course the Democrats and the Pro-choice community are going to grab this one up and run with it. Why wouldn’t they? The Akin remarks are the gifts that keep on giving. His words were the mother ship from which all this stupidity has emminated.
Basically, the Republican men just need to shut up about rape. It is a hideous act. Period.
Right now I have this mental image of all these aging Republican men stuck in a quicksand pit up to their knees, trying to extricate themselves from the mess while still running their mouths. The problem is, they think they know what is best for the rest of us.
Oddly enough, former Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack sums things up pretty well:
Former Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) questioned why Gingrey was talking about the months-old comment in the first place.
“There’s no way to defend what Todd Akin said,” Bono Mack said. “You just can’t do it and you shouldn’t try to put it into a scientific context. It was a bad statement. And to try to defend it or explain someone else’s poor choice of words, it would be a fool’s errand.”
Bono Mack, who was first elected in 1998 but lost her reelection this fall, said some House Republicans don’t understand the full range of emotions associated with the abortion debate.
“It was my belief when I was in the Congress, and I tried to explain this to my colleagues: The abortion issue isn’t just about abortion. It’s about so much more. It’s about delving into what it means to women and what it means to Americans,” she said. For women, it means “a loss of autonomy. To Americans, it means government intrusion into their lives.”
Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser said the lawmakers are falling for a trap set by proponents of abortion rights who want to focus the debate on extremes such as rape instead of other abortions.
Mack is correct. She described the mind set succinctly. No one is FOR abortion. Dannenfelser is clueless. The lawmakers are NOT falling for a trap set by proponents of abortion rights. They are victims of their own big stupid mouths. They think that they have the answer for women. They think THEY know what is best for the wimmin folk.
I will challenge anyone who makes up an excuse for these old codgers. I have spent a lifetime listening to men who really think they are superior in thought, word, and deed to women. The arrogance is rather amazing. No one yet has convinced these old boys that they really are not the majority and they really aren’t going to have the last say on the morals for women of America.
I have found that some of these prototype men often sing the loudest in the choir, pinch the most asses in their local bottle club when their wives aren’t looking and have the sluttiest daughers. They still feel they are on the moral high road riding the largest dinosaur. UFB.
I would like to see everyone stop talking about rape. It really diffuses the issue of reproductive rights. It’s what we used to call the “hard cases” back in the day. Let’s stick to the more relevant issues that involve prevention in the first place. That’s the best money spent–keep abortion rates low by reducing unwanted preganancy. Wow! What a concept.
P.S. Gringley should not be practicing medicine. Paternalism at its worst.
Conservatives need a new party–one that is willing to capitalize on Democratic weaknesses in the economy, jobs, defense, national security and individual freedoms. These idiots that keep dragging up the same stupid issues of which they seem to have very little understanding need to go, because it is clear they are blind to why they lost the presidential election.
I don’t disagree. It would be nice to have choices. I don’t feel like I do. I certainly don’t agree with the Democrats on everything. Social issues generally I do. Lots of other things, not so much. It all depends.
Phil Gingrey, said, “There are some problems, and maybe these huge magazines even for someone who says, ‘Look, I just use an AR-15 for target practice.’ But do you really need to be standing there shooting at a silhouette a shot a second or even quicker with that kind of weapon? For what purpose?” Gingrey asked. “I would be willing to listen to the possibility of the capacity of a magazine.” Meaning being limited.
Apparently Gingrey says stupid stuff ALL the time.
Two Words of advice for this guy……………….SHUT UP!
I actually feel BAD for my republican friends, how humiliating to know people like this exist.
@Elena
Thanks for the sympathy… We feel sorry for you guys too….Maxine Waters…Sheila Jackson Lee…..
I’ll stop there before I cause trouble. 😉
Spare the sympathy, it isn’t needed. Democrats aren’t as ….how do I say this…married to idiots at Republicans are. Democrats can distance themselves without the agony Republicans go through. Perhaps someone can explain it better than I can.
Married to the idiots? Really? Lee is still in office. Waters was defeated by a slim margin. The only difference is that the press never covers and ridicules the stupid things that liberals say.
Democrats don’t go all ballistic over their stupid members like Republicans do. Weiner? The Democrats groaned, laughed, and watched Jon Stewart. Dont tell me it wasnt reported. It was everywhere. What’s his name down in Florida with the white boards–house of representatives? laugh him off. He’s a joke.
Republicans have the worst habit of going all moral on people and then find their members are the worst offenders. That’s the problem. They make all this incredibly stupid legislation and then talk about ‘legitimate rape.’ They have the dude from Nevada, Sanford, Mr. bathroom tapper and people like that. After you have been holier than though…its pretty hard to not look stupid. Democrats just don’t usually take that high road in the first place.
I could care less if Maxine Waters says something stupid. Every once in a while she also says something incredibly smart. Give a little get a little I guess.