Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Todd Akin: Bringing America together

Todd Akin, who somehow has been repeatedly elected to Congress from Missouri and is now the Republican nominee for a Missouri Senate seat, triggered a national firestorm when offered this incredible contribution to the collection of most stupid things ever said by a public figure: "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Forget for a moment that there is no scientific or pseudo-scientific basis for this remark, not even a superstition or old wives' tale that he might have heard as an innocent, ignorant child and then failed to un-learn. Forget all of that. Legitimate? What in Sam Hill could he mean by that?

But, yes, for all his stupidity, Mr. Akin has accomplished what seemed impossible so far this political season: He has brought Americans together. Democrats denounced him -- but Republicans did too. He has been deemed persona non grata for the upcoming Republican convention. Pro-abortionists denounced him -- but anti-abortionists have too. Akin has confirmed that presumptive VP nominee Paul Ryan asked him to withdraw from the Missouri Senate race. Akin is an embarrassment and a laughingstock, but today all Americans are in his debt: He has brought us together.

Against him.

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