Speaker Boehner needs to remove Akin from Science and Tech Committee
By Jo Piazza / current.com / @jopiazza
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has created a petition calling on Speaker of the House John Boehner to remove Rep. Todd Akin from the House Science and Technology Committee, following Akin's comments that a woman who is "legitimately" raped can prevent herself from becoming pregnant.
"First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. ... If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," Akin said to a Fox News affiliate in St. Louis on Sunday.
The DCCC posted a petition on its website on Sunday evening stating:
"The notion of 'legitimate rape' is insulting. Someone who believes nonsense like this has no part overseeing science policy. Tell Speaker Boehner to immediately remove Rep. Akin from the House Science and Technology Committee."
More: Read Jennifer Granholm's column on women
facing sexual McCarthyism.
By mid-morning on Monday, the petition had received more than 11,000 likes on Facebook.
The argument that women can't get pregnant from rape is sadly neither new nor uncommon.
More: Read 101 assaults in the War on Women
Talking Points Memo has an excellent history of conservatives using the completely unscientific argument that women cannot get pregnant in the case of rape.
And even the Romney-Ryan campaign distanced itself from the controversial comments.
"Gov. Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin's statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," the campaign said in a brief statement. Romney also called the comments "insulting" and "inexcusable."
Watch Stephanie Miller and the Rude Pundit
talk about Akin's comments.
(Photo from Getty Images)
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Guinevere_Nell
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Please sign a petition for his removal - there are several, here is one:
http://www.change.org/petitions/john-boehner-remove-akin-from-the-science-and-te... - 9 months ago
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Guinevere_Nell
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RajKamthe
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No need for a revolution.. We already have the democracy we can revolt and hope to achieve.. People just need to start paying close attention to their candidates.. ask them questions... speak their minds.. and vote the proper way. The time has come to stop ignoring our political process. Turn your channels and demand that the media give you the proper news like Current TV.. Not some news pandit giving his/her twisted biased opinions on things. We need to wake up!!! That will be a revolution in itself!! Because the power of voting is still within our hands... Lets use it well people.....
- 9 months ago
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RajKamthe
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Leen61
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"Speaker Boehner needs to remove Akin from Science and Tech Committee"
You think? - 9 months ago
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Leen61
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Hardytoo
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If this wasn't so serious, it would be comical. Can't make this stuff up.
Science & Technology?
Hell, why not. If Michelle Bachmann can be on the Homeland Security Committee... let's make this guy Surgeon-General.Please, someone tell me: when does the revolution start? My pitchfork is ready.
- 9 months ago
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Hardytoo
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RajKamthe
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Seriously!!!! Women in this country need to wake up and vote the proper way this time around. We have people like this in office.. Seriously!!! How dare he!!
This moron needs to disappear from the public's eye right now!!!! Definately needs to be removed from the House Science and Technology Committee. It is obvious he knows very little of anything. It is a shame that people like this even exist in this day and age. Even in the dark ages they would have shunned him for saying something like that.. Ridiculous. Does his stupidity know no ends!! Is this the kind of inteliligence we have amongst politicians. If so.. can I submit my resume.. cause with half of my brain missing.. I can still do his job!!! - 9 months ago
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RajKamthe
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Possumsqueezins
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This makes perfect sense in Republican opposite world. If you have a committee on Science, appoint someone without any knowledge about Science to the committee.
- 9 months ago
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Possumsqueezins
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Phil_Hopson
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It's elected politicians like Akin who screw up our political system (whats left of it), then compound it by appointing them to committees they have no knowledge or skill. Next, how about removing Bachmann from the "intelligence" committee, Mr. Boehner?
- 9 months ago
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Phil_Hopson
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MSII
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He does need to be removed, but then the right-wingers in general need to be completely removed from all public offices. Their mad-ideology is not capable of governing any non-FASCIST country.
- 9 months ago
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MSII
