"Getting Pregnant From Rape Is ‘Similar’ To Having A Baby Out Of Wedlock"...

[cynatnite]

In the aftermath of Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) offensive and medically inaccurate comments that “legitimate rape” doesn’t often lead to pregnancy, Republicans have been scrambling to distance themselves from Akin. However, in addition to pushing policies that are very much in line with Akin’s anti-choice views, some GOP candidates have similar ignorance about the nature of sexual assault.

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:

MARK SCOLFORO, ASSOCIATED PRESS: How would you tell a daughter or a granddaughter who, God forbid, would be the victim of a rape, to keep the child against her own will? Do you have a way to explain that?

SMITH: I lived something similar to that with my own family. She chose life, and I commend her for that. She knew my views. But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to.. she chose they way I thought. No don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t rape.

SCOLFORO: Similar how?

SMITH: Uh, having a baby out of wedlock.

SCOLFORO: That’s similar to rape?

SMITH: No, no, no, but… put yourself in a father’s situation, yes. It is similar. But, back to the original, I’m pro-life, period.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2012/08/27/751971/pennsylvania-gop-senate-candidate-getting-pregnant-from-rape-is-similar-to-having-a-baby-out-of-wedlock/

[LisaL]

1. They should keep on digging that hole.

[cynatnite]

2. It's like they went to Walmart and bought the shovel themselves. n/t

[Initech]

5. The hole is so deep it's probably half way to China right now.

[regnaD kciN]

3. On behalf of men everywhere...

...may I request that Tom Smith resign from our gender?

[_Liann_]

4. If your pregnancy kills you, that's just God's Plan. God don't like modern medicine.

Killing you is PRO LIFE.

[LisaL]

10. Reporters should also be asking them if they think abortion is o'key

if the life of the mother is in danger.
I can only imagine what they will come up with there.

[The Magistrate]

6. Speaking as a Father and Grand-Father, Ma'am: Mr. Smith Needs A Serious Attitude Adjustment....

Something of a permanent nature....

[Freddie]

7. Don't worry

This guy's about 30 points behind Sen. Casey in the polls. And soon to be falling fast.

[cynatnite]

9. Good to know. Thanks! n/t

[drm604]

33. Unfortunately,

Casey, a Democrat, is also anti-choice.

[Freddie]

34. Yes but

Casey is not an extremist about it IMO. Have never heard him talk about "getting rid of Planned Parenthood" or no exceptions for rape. And he is a reliable Democratic vote on every other issue.
I'll hold my nose and vote for him; last time he handily defeated the incumbent, Rick Santorum. Talk about the lesser of two evils!

[drm604]

37. I'll vote for him.

The real world often requires choosing between a lesser and a greater evil, and not just in politics.

So, I'll vote for Casey, but I wish there was another viable choice.

[meow2u3]

42. Casey is nowhere near as extremist as the rapepublicans

Pro-life Democrats stand with the baby--and the woman--after the kid is born. They don't leave them to fend for themselves or condemn them to a life of destitution, unlike the rapepublicans. Most pro life Democrats oppose the death penalty and cuts to social programs in principle.

It's the anti-abortion repukes with their motivation to enslave women that's the major problem. Trouble is, they're the vast majority of the license to rape so-called right to life movement.

[cynatnite]

8. The story is getting picked up.

As a woman, I'm scared. It doesn't matter that I can't have anymore children.

[arcane1]

11. "put yourself in a father’s situation"???

Is he saying that having a daughter who bears a child out of wedlock is "similar" to HIM being raped????

[LisaL]

14. No. I am pretty sure he is saying he as a father feels the same way

about his daughter having a child out of wedlock as if she was having child from being raped.

[arcane1]

17. Ah ok, thanks. So the statement was 0.01% less insane than I thought

[redqueen]

31. Yep. nt

[gollygee]

22. Which makes me wonder if he's a father

because, uh, no way.

[gkhouston]

29. And if he is, I'd love to get a quote from the daughter about this. n/t

[loyalsister]

12. FATHER?

The biggest difference between the two is in one case there may be (assuming the woman is on good terms with the man) a father.

No rapist is a "father" of a child conceived during his brutal, invasive, unwanted behavior.

[MineralMan]

13. Spring-loaded feet those Republicans have.

They open their mouths and the foot pops up and in. It's a modern day miracle, I guess.

[spanone]

15. their collective ignorance is astounding

[Zoeisright]

16. Every time. EVERY stinking time

I think these assholes can't get lower, they defy my expectations.

[vaberella]

18. send this to Tweety, to Brashir, to Rachel, and the rest of them. n/t

[DavidL]

24. Martin Bashir already played it

He's got a crack staff.

Rachel, no doubt, will feature it, too tonight, since there really isn't any convention news.

[sibelian]

19. Good... Lord...

I am actually lost for words.

[LadyHawkAZ]

20. This is just...

I can't even... what the... UGH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!


The common sense fuse in my brain just blew out. Y'all have fun with this discussion. I'm going to go for a nice walk in the sunshine, where I won't have to hear about how wonderful rape is.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

21. I think I need an English language translation from the original Neanderthal

I'm not sure what the hell he's saying but he sounds like he's saying whether a woman has a pregnancy through out-of-wedlock sex or outright rape there's no difference in the requirement that she has to bring the baby to term.

[bamacrat]

23. WTF how do these type of people allowed to run.

This is disgusting. I have no other words.

[DavidL]

25. I guess in this dim bulb's mind...

A rapist is just another kind of father, just like VP candidate Ryan says rape is just another method of getting pregnant.

WHA????????????

[greatauntoftriplets]

26. OMFG. He really said that?

[Rex]

27. What the fuck is 'legitimate rape'?

People get mad at me for such vitriol toward the GOP...then they read something by an Akins type and suddenly understand why.

[LeftishBrit]

28. Just...gasp

How can he even compare the two?

[JoePhilly]

30. Whack job.

[madrchsod]

32. that would be all my children tommy and it`s not similar.....

[reformist2]

35. So self-centered - all he thinks of is the shame, embarrassment of the father of the raped daughter!

It's only when someone has no concern for the mental state of the daughter that someone could ever equate the two cases.

[Liberal_in_LA]

36. kick

[Odin2005]

38. I am speechless.

[alarimer]

39. Pig-ignorant.

Have I mentioned today how much I hate Republicans? Where do they get this trash from?

[Care Acutely]

40. You didn't have to . . . . what? asshole.

"But, fortunately for me, I didn’t have to.. she chose they way I thought."


You didn't have to what? What exactly did you plan to do if she didn't choose the way you thought?

[MadrasT]

41. Oh great.

Pennsylvania this time. Just what we need, another batshit crazy Republican senator. I still haven't recovered from the horror of Santorum.

[treestar]

43. How could it be similar?

Wouldn't it be much, much worse if your daughter was pregnant as a result of a rape rather than pregnant, but not married, by a boyfriend? Is that what he meant? They are getting worse by the day.

[LadyHawkAZ]

46. It's all about how you view your daughter

Last edited Tue Aug 28, 2012, 05:26 AM - Edit history (1)

If you have a daughter that you love and view as a human being, then of course the idea of her being raped is 1000000x worse than her just becoming pregnant- one might be disappointing, but the other is a horror.

If you view a daughter as a possession, a THING, then the two will be pretty much equal, because they are both someone poaching on your property and ruining it. That it might make a difference to HER wouldn't be a concern. Things don't feel.

I feel sorry for his daughter.

[Tom Ripley]

44. Sounds like something a rapist would say

[kickysnana]

45. Unfortunately not new.

My grandfather went to testify for a teenage neighbor girl who was raped on the way home from work ca 1939 and got pregnant They wanted to send her to whatever youth authority they had at the time as an incorrigible. She needed to work to help her family make ends meat. He did prevail but only because he knew the judge personally and had some credibility.

[Saphire]

47. ah, I see. only young, single women get raped?

[DiverDave]

48. Idiot

just, an idiot.