(CNN) – Sen. Scott Brown, the Massachusetts Republican in a tight battle for re-election, said Monday that Rep. Todd Akin ought to step aside in his bid for U.S. Senate in Missouri after Akin claimed "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy. Sen. Ron Johnson also called on Akin to resign from the GOP nomination.
"As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin's comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong," Brown wrote in a statement released by his campaign. "There is no place in our public discourse for this type of offensive thinking. Not only should he apologize, but I believe Rep. Akin's statement was so far out of bounds that he should resign the nomination for US Senate in Missouri."
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Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who was elected in 2010, also called on Akin to step aside.
Todd Akin's statements are reprehensible and inexcusable. He should step aside today for the good of the nation.
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Ron Johnson (@Ron4Senate) August 20, 2012Akin won his spot on November's ballot earlier this August, and is slated to face Democratic incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill in November.
Prior to this controversy, the top non-partisan political handicappers had rated the Missouri race a "toss up." Republicans consider McCaskill's seat a prime take-over target as they try to reclaim control of the Senate. Democrats currently have a 53 to 47 advantage in the chamber, but are defending 23 (21 Democrats and two independents who caucus with the party) of the 33 seats up for grabs in November.
Brown is facing Elizabeth Warren, a consumer advocate and former adviser to President Barack Obama, in a fierce battle for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts. Brown is a first-term Republican who won his seat in a January 2010 election to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.
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Todd Akin is an embarrassment to the State of Missouri and unfortunately, I live there. His entire record this past session has resulted in renaming three existing post office building in the STL area. Even if he drops out of the Senate race, the rednecks in this state will write in his name on the ballot.
Akin said aloud what large segments of the GOP believe. And now the rats run for cover. Ryan is clearly on the record wanting to deny abortion to rape and incest victims – time for him to step aside.
the republicans seem bent on making absolutely certain that no woman, anywhere in america will vote republican ever again.
Why should he "resign from the "GOP nomination"? Birds of a feather flock together.
Thaw "I do not think that Romney will give the boot to Akin – he has not got the backbone to do that."
He also does not have that authority.
Sad day
They should just let it roll. I am sure Akin is going to loose. So why bother calling him quit.
American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Over 32,000 pregnancies result from rape in this country EVERY YEAR. Whoever said science has proved correct Akins' regurgitation of a prevalent evangelical magical thinking delusional rationalization...YOU ARE 100% WRONG. Akins was not inartfully stating a fact...he was spewing unadulterated ideological mumbo-jumbo. I don't know what's worse: what he said or people inventing excuses for him.
Republicans exposed. 3 cheers!!
Marshall "Why should he "resign from the "GOP nomination"? Birds of a feather flock together."
Should I also hold all Democrats accountable for the ravings of J Biden? Why aren't you calling for his resignation?
And perhaps he could take the race baiting Joe Biden with him
OMG, the ineptitude of Akin is overwhelming!! I keep wondering where "legitimate rape" came from. RAPE is RAPE and there is nothing "legitimate" about it. Maybe he could explain this to some poor little girls mother when the child is "legitimately raped" because she was too young to defend herself from her attacker. Get this incompetant idiot out of politics and send him back to Human anatomy 101 and basic sex education.
I agree.
His perspective may be fine in societies like those who repress women – Muslim countries and groups such as the Taliban, but it doesn't represent America AT ALL.
He is so completely out of touch he cannot represent Americans in their government now.
America needs to force him to retire.
Let's be clear on this – the only reason Republicans are calling on Akin to resign from the Senate seat nomination is because they know that he now has no chance of winning it. Their collective righteous indignation is rooted solely in the practicality of the win-loss column, and nothing more.
Let's not make this a GOP thing – This is a Rep. Todd Akin thing I think the two parties have enough bad boys and girls to go around –let's not continue the partisan warfare that Obama seems to thrive in
So all we've learned here is that Scott Brown is so desperate for reelection that he'll go so far as to throw a fellow Republican under a bus to save his own skin. How shocking!
This is sooooo sweet! I'm still laughing my head off over these repubs scrambling to recover. Todd Akin is that proverbial gift that keeps on giving. 'Hey, Todd! tell us more about 'legitimate rape'! This is funnier than Joe Barton backtracking, after threats from Boehner on apologizing to BP after being shaken down by the Feds for 20 big ones after destroying the lives of thousands with their thick, black goo. Stand your ground, Todd! You know some rape is legitimate, don't you, Todd? Keep talking about how legitimate rape can be! Don't take no bull off anyone! ;op
Sniffit
American Journal of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Over 32,000 pregnancies result from rape in this country EVERY YEAR.
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Akin is an idiot who does not speak for me or, dare I say, the vast majority of conservatives.
Meanwhile... SOMETHING needs to be done about all that raping.
Keeping it Real- NOT!
There is no comparison. Akin has blown the lid off of the GOP. Nothing Biden has said comes even close. There is virtually no difference between Akin's position and Ryan's. Romney will flip-flop violently- but the GOP now looks like the Taliban. They can't fix that.
I'm going to lose, aren't I? Doggone it.
I think it's high time that politicians of all stripes start owning up to the outright lies they spew. Enough of this "mis-speak" excuse, they need to be held accountable for telling bald faced lies on the campaign trail.
People like this guy have really sunk the GOP down to new levels.
This was NOT the party that great leaders like Barry Goldwater envisioned.
Opening up the party to these religious extremists was a bad idea – financially, they will ruin this country, and they are no better than those that wish to impose "Nanny Government" on the people.
And this guy is on the Science Committee?
I'm glad some Republicans are calling on him to step aside. He's an embarrassment.
Its a GOP war on women based on archaic and fundamentalist views that are no different than Sharia law. I was a Republican for 35 years. GWBush was the end for me. I am now an Independent. My party has moved so far right they are no longer conservative but facist religious zealots that loath women.