Why is Representative Todd Akin being nationally ostracized now for publicly stating what the majority of the Republican Party already openly proclaims?
Akin’s extremist anti-woman views are shared by many in his party, most especially vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. The two politicians have even sponsored a bill together attempting to redefine what it means to be raped. Think Progress reported on the bizarre legislative misogyny that was wrought by these men:
“Last year, Akin joined with GOP vice presidential candidate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) as two of the original co-sponsors of the ‘No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act’, a bill which, among other things, introduced the country to the bizarre term ‘forcible rape‘.
Federal law prevents federal Medicaid funds and similar programs from paying for abortions. Yet the law also contains an exception for women who are raped. The bill Akin and Ryan cosponsored would have narrowed this exception, providing that only pregnancies arising from ‘forcible rape‘ may be terminated. Because the primary target of Akin and Ryan’s effort are Medicaid recipients — patients who are unlikely to be able to afford an abortion absent Medicaid funding — the likely impact of this bill would have been forcing many rape survivors to carry their rapist’s baby to term.”
Men Who Stare at Zygotes
Rachel Maddow recently reported on the growing scope of this weird disconnect that is happening in the Republican Party, whose official platform has been completely opposed for decades to any abortion access for women, not even in the case of rape or incest. Doctor Maddow chronicles just how radically extreme some of these elected officials have become in regard to women’s health issues and safe access to pregnancy termination:
image via Elect Democrats
About Rhonda Winter
