GOP Senate Candidate Todd Akin "had to be carried out by police"
Frederick Clarkson printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Sun Dec 02, 2012 at 03:11:57 PM EST
Now that the frenzy of the election and its wake has subsided, I want to resurface a post from November 3 that probably got lost in the deluge. The significance of the much reviled Todd Akin is not only that he believed and stated extraordinary things about rape -- and voiced them while running for the U.S. Senate. -- FC

Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) has become notorious for his comments about rape, but there are many other good reasons to consider him one of the most recklessly dangerous pols in the nation. Fresh revelations about his criminal record and his approval of proponents of anti-abortion violence  are now coming out almost daily. Josh Glassteter at People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch has come up with video that demonstrates how this is so.  The National Journal is now reporting that Akin was arrested at least 8 times in connection with anti-abortion protests in he 80s -- including an instance in which he was blocking access to a clinic, refused to leave and had to be  "carried out by police."

A few days after the 1993 assassination of Florida abortion provider, Dr. David Gunn, Akin's longtime anti-abortion/militia pal, Tim Dreste, stood in front of the clinic of abortion provider Dr. Yogrenda Shah with a sign stating:  "Dr. Shah, are you feeling under the Gunn?"

Here is the video:

A few months later, Akin contributed $200 to Dreste's dark horse race for state representative.

The facts have been out there, duly reported by news outlets over the years -- but are only now resurfacing.  The fact is that Todd Akin has not only been an ally of one of the nation's leading supporters of anti-abortion violence; but has been a supporter of anti-government militia, even when the nation stood shell-shocked in the wake of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

In 1995 the Springfield News-Leader ( in an article dug up by Right Wing Watch) revealed that Todd Akin met with a St. Louis-area militia and defended it in wake of the Oklahoma City bombing.  The article undermines his later claims that he did not even know who the militia group was.

The Riverfront Times and Salon.com have much more



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GOP Senate Candidate Todd Akin "had to be carried out by police" | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)
It's good that this is coming out now (5.00 / 1)
I hope it affects the results of the campaign, but we will have to see. At least we know Akin's contempt for women has been pretty obvious all throughout with his stupid remarks.

by khughes1963 on Sat Nov 03, 2012 at 06:29:27 PM EST
The Show Me-state has been shown; (none / 0)
we'll see if they use that info intelligently.

by trog69 on Sun Nov 04, 2012 at 06:37:21 AM EST
Parent


Thankfully, MO voters dumped him (none / 0)
He had been Congressional Representative to the wealthy, who just wanted him to vote against taxes and didn't care about other issues (any Republican will do). He didn't need to do much to get elected, once he won that first primary. Then Akin decided that he had a shot at the Senate, and became overt about his religious conservatism in a successful attempt to connect with the rural and small-city voters. Then he inserted his foot into his mouth, and the St. Louis and Kansas City suburban fiscal conservatives actually looked more closely at their candidate that the St. Louis suburbanites had been rubber-stamping all these years.

by NancyP on Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 12:43:43 PM EST

Women's control of their bodies is still beinglost (none / 0)
State by state their rights are being warn away and suppressed with onerous laws designed to make such clinics impossible to operate. What good is it being legal of they can't get access state wide?

by Nightgaunt on Mon Dec 03, 2012 at 02:48:27 PM EST
Class and access (none / 0)
The sorts of people who can take a day off easily without losing income and who can travel if necessary are also the ones with potential political power on this issue. The bulk of middle-class women believe one or more of the following: 1. I won't need an abortion, that's only for careless irresponsible women 2. I am not likely to need an abortion, so I don't need to spend much time worrying about access or getting hassled 3. Roe v Wade will stand forever. Many women have a certain amount of political complacency, and don't regard a politician's anti-abortion stance and votes as a deal-breaker.

Difficulties in access affect poor women the most, and politicians don't listen to them or believe that they will vote.

by NancyP on Tue Dec 04, 2012 at 01:12:50 PM EST
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GOP Senate Candidate Todd Akin "had to be carried out by police" | 5 comments (5 topical, 0 hidden)

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