Congressman Akin admits he was wrong in comments about rape during radio apology

8/21/2012

ST. LOUIS — Congressman Todd Akin says he was wrong in claiming that women's bodies are able to prevent pregnancies in "a legitimate rape" situation and that conception is rare in such cases.

The Missouri Republican Senate candidate went on Mike Huckabee's national radio show Monday to apologize for comments that aired Sunday on KTVI-TV in St. Louis. Akin's comments to KTVI's Charles Jaco created a furor that has included calls from some Senate Republicans for him to get out of the race.

Akin says he made a serious error but did not elaborate about how he made the mistake. He vowed to continue his campaign despite calls within his own party for him to step down, saying he's not the first politician to suffer from what he called "foot-in-mouth disease."

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is distancing himself from Akin, who said a woman's body "has ways" to prevent pregnancy after rape.

Romney's campaign said Romney and his running mate, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, disagree with Todd Akin's comments. Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul says Romney's administration would not oppose abortion in cases of rape.

Akin, a Republican congressman who is challenging Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, was asked in an interview released Sunday if he would support abortions for women who have been raped. Akin said that, quote, "if it's legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."