– REP. TODD AKIN (R-MO): “It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin told KTVI-TV. “
If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
– REP. STEVE KING (R-IA): In an
interview with Iowa’s KMEG-TV, King denied ever hearing about anyone getting pregnant from statutory rape or incest, saying: “
Well I just haven’t heard of that being a cir stance that’s been brought to me in any personal way, and I’d be open to discussion about that subject matter.”
– REP. ROSCOE BARTLETT (R-MD): At a town hall, Bartlett
responded to a question about abortion by reiterating his longstanding opposition to the procedure in every case except for rape, incest, and if the life of the woman is in danger. But when an audience member pressed Bartlett on the rape exception, he suggested that
few pregnancies result from rape.
– LINDA MCMAHON: the Connecticut senate hopeful
told a local newspaper that Catholic hospitals should not be required to provide emergency contraception to victims of rape. “I mean it’s a separation of church and state in my view, and
I think that a religious ins ution has the right to decide what its policies would be in that, in that case,” she claimed. She later reversed herself.
– TOM SMITH: the Republican challenging Sen. Bob Casey’s (D-PA) seat,
suggested that
having a child out of wedlock was analogous to rape during an interview with a reporter at a press club this afternoon, claiming that it would have a “similar” effect on a father.
– STATE REP. ROGER RIVARD (R-WI): the state lawmakers, who also won Paul Ryan’s backing,
claimed that
some girls “rape easy” and sometimes portray a sexual encounter as rape if they become pregnant.
– STATE REP. JIM BUCHY (R-OH):
admitted that
never thought about why a woman would want an abortion. After an Al Jazeera reporter asked Buchy why he thinks some women may want to have an abortion, he fumbled for an appropriate response before admitting he had never thought about that question before.
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012...rape-abortion/