FAIRBANKS — Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski on Tuesday expressed strong displeasure with inflammatory comments about abortion made by Republican Senate candidate Representative Todd Akin of Missouri, and she joined a growing list of GOP leaders calling for Akin to quit the key race.
“I join many Alaskans in finding Rep. Todd Akin’s comments incredibly offensive and I strongly encourage him to step aside,” Murkowski said on her Twitter account Tuesday.
Akin has so far declined to drop out from the race to unseat Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. Tuesday was the deadline in Missouri for Akin to withdraw without petitioning a court to remove his name from the November ballot. He did not withdraw.
Murkowski, in an interview Tuesday evening, said she learned of Akin’s comments Monday as she was about to leave for a visit to the Aleutian Islands and that the comments bothered her so much that, upon returning to communications on Adak Island after being out of reach on Shemya and Attu islands, she instructed one of her aides to send the tweet.
“I can’t believe a guy running for the U.S. Senate but also a current congressman would make this kind of statement,” she said. “I don’t think this helps Republicans in our effort to pick up Missouri. I thought we had a chance.”
“Missouri is one of those states we’ve been watching very carefully.”
The controversy arose out of Akin’s interview Sunday with a St. Louis television station.
“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare,” Akin said in the interview, regarding pregnancies from rape. “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”
Republicans are banking on a victory in Missouri to help them secure the seats needed to gain control of the Senate. McCaskill has been viewed as vulnerable to defeat since Missouri has been trending Republican.
GOP leaders have grown increasingly concerned that the controversy could harm GOP prospects in November, both in Missouri and elsewhere in the nation. Akin drew a rebuke from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
Murkowski said the furor over Akin’s remarks isn’t a manufactured controversy.
“I looked clearly at the statement to make sure it wasn’t taken out of context,” she said. “I’m somewhat stunned by the comments made by this congressman that stated that somehow a ‘legitimate rape’ could somehow prevent a pregnancy.”
Murkowski said the controversy over Akin’s remarks detracts from the debate about the nation’s economy. She noted how Republicans were criticized several months ago during what was described by Democrats as the “War on Women.”
“I thought we were beyond it and talking about things we need to be talking about,” she said. “Now I think this just moves us back to this potential for attack toward Republicans on women’s issues.”
Murkowski is generally considered a moderate on abortion. She opposes the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court ruling legalizing abortion, but she said in an interview during her 2010 primary campaign against Tea Party-backed Joe Miller that she supports some limits.
“Federal funding should not be used for abortions, and I have been quite consistent in my approach to that,” she said at the time. “I also recognize, as the Supreme Court did, that while the courts have ruled abortion beyond a certain stage is lawful, there are situations when there should be restrictions on abortion, and I have strongly supported a ban on partial-birth abortion.”
Contact Fairbanks Daily News-Miner managing editor Rod Boyce at 907-459-7585.
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Anonymous said on Wednesday, Aug 29 at 2:03 PM
oh right that is what Palin told Akin to say about the rape case she threw under the bus, that got her hand caught in the "cookie jar" of funds, that she gave to TransCanada, that gave back to England...now Sarah don't steal the government hates competition! and allowing child rape victims to be stalked and followed...and Bristol and her friends staging a stalking incident at a work site...oh girl the legalities...heard the mother is a law student now...lol...practice makes perfect...and ladies and gentlemen...State of Alaska is about to be educated...watch the federal court dockets coming up...in Washington DC I heard...weasel out of that Parnell and Palin! Go get em Senator Murkowski...clean house!!!
100399481Robo said on Saturday, Aug 25 at 5:09 AM
He put his foot in his mouth and misspoke and then apologized for his words. Forgive and move-on. The people must review the performance of their current senator and determine if she is fit to continue or should be replaced by him. I disagree with a write-in of someone for the republican ticket, it will only dilute the vote and throw it to the democrats. Harry Reid sure has been good for the country -- hasn't he?
99899626buzz said on Thursday, Aug 23 at 7:56 PM
the newest buzz is the federal case coming up...it's explosive and global...so glad Lisa is around...;)
99816175Anonymous said on Thursday, Aug 23 at 7:55 PM
Considering her father reversed the Statutes of Limitations for me...yeah...I would not mess with a Murkowski...not because they are wrong...but because the are RIGHT!!! And may be the case against the State of Alaska and the Palin and Parnell administration will shed light on this political secret they all harbor...that leads to money money money...
99816106pfft said on Thursday, Aug 23 at 7:06 PM
Lisa should have stepped down after that crooked land deal she had to go back on, but did she? Among other things, Lisa Step Down and Move Away.
99814215San Hall said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 10:17 PM
Akin is not about to quit only if he cannot get some money to continue. As his viewpoints are for the most part in the GOP platform and have been the Ryan VP person of their party ujtil really just today .why would he not continue. It will be interesting to see if he does win his position in Missouri of today.
99749795Bar'aq the Clown said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 4:06 PM
I wish Lisa would step down for reneging on her promise to drop out if Joe Miller won the primary AND for being a UN loving globalist elite!
99735235Alaskan Voter said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 2:30 PM
Lisa need to mind her own business, She did not leave office when the voters/general public asked her to. Must be nice to havea daddy with power.
99730205ourjungle said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 1:22 PM
Here is the reason Todd Akin may have handed Obama 4 more years,and our Nation the financial disaster that will follow: (1) Our Nation is evenly divided along political line, 47% Democtates,47% Republicans. (2) There are about 500,000 Independents divided between 9 swing States. (3) The 2012 Presidential Election will need those 500,000 Independent votes, and most of them are women. I repeat for Todd Akin...most of them are women. (4) The final vote count will boil down to around 5000 votes in Pennsylvania...that is how close the election will be, and that is why Todd Akin's insensitive,insulting,and disrespectful remarks about women are not confined to Missouri. Sarah Steelman should run as a "write-in" candidate for the Missouri Senate on the Independent ticket.
99725666Kathleen Tonn/ Move the Mountain Ministries... said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 1:07 PM
Concerning Mr. Akin's comment, I would like to put forward a few thoughts that I hope you chew on. First, it is a horrible thing for a woman to be raped. The act of rape is one of violence! The emotional impact and scarring to a woman can last a lifetime. The act of rape can impair a woman’s ability to ever trust a man again! This inability can lead to a life of hopelessness and loneliness. With that said, there have been confirmed reports of women stating they were raped when they never were. The percentage of women in this group is much, much smaller than the true accounts of rape reported or those that went unreported. The choice of words utilized by Mr. Akin, concerning the deplorable act of rape and the potential for pregnancy, could have been more refined. He was likely not prepared for the interviewer’s question. So too, he was no doubt searching his memory for the information he gleaned from doctors concerning the physical reaction women have to such a violent act as rap
99724696clyde lee said on Wednesday, Aug 22 at 12:30 PM
It's not like Lisa or any other politician hasn't put their foot in their mouth before! He used the wrong words. Dumb of him for sure. However, this has gone way overboard!! We, the nation, must be realistic. He needs to formally apologize and move on. If the voters don't want him let them settle it, as it SHOULD be. WE the people are the government, not the politicians.
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