U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says comments made by a Missouri congressman running for the Senate are troubling. Over the weekend U.S. Rep. Todd Akin (R-Missouri, pictured) was asked if he would support abortions for women who have been raped. "It seems to me, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare,” Akin said.
“If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." Later Akin released a statement saying that he "misspoke" during the interview. "In reviewing my off-the-cuff remarks, it's clear that I misspoke in this interview, and it does not reflect the deep empathy I hold for the thousands of women who are raped and abused every year," Akin's statement said.
Durbin, the senate whip, accepts the congressman’s retraction of the statement but says the comments are part of a troubling mindset. “It is an indication of a mindset on this issue which is troubling,” Durbin said. “It is so antithetical to any basic understanding of medical science.”
The presumptive vice-presidential nominee Paul Ryan is set to attend a fundraiser Thursday in Springfield, Mo. Durbin says it will be interesting after Akin’s gaffe if he will appear with Ryan. “It’ll be interesting to see how that develops,” Durbin said.
A handful of Republicans have called for Akin to apologize and resign the Senate nomination.
