"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down." -Todd Akin, Republican Congressman from Missouri who is seeking the Senate nomination
Dear Democrat,
Mitt Romney and other Republican leaders calling for Todd Akin to resign his campaign need to take in more territory starting with Romney's VP candidate and including newly minted right wing darling Ted Cruz. The only distinction between Ted Cruz, Paul Ryan and Todd Akin is that Akin put down the dog whistle and stated the policy out loud. Akin's disgusting rhetoric matches the policies of the Republican Party.
While the words were so extremely incendiary and offensive, it's their policies that are even more reprehensible. There is no policy distinction between Akin, Cruz, and Ryan. It simply doesn't exist. None of them believe that a woman who is the victim of rape, or any woman for that matter, has the right to make her own health care decisions.
This wasn't Todd Akin and Paul Ryan's first attempt to parse rape. Akin authored legislation that introduced the term "forcible rape." This "forcible rape" bill had more than 200 Republican co-sponsors, including Republican V.P. nominee Paul Ryan.
As the national outrage has grown, Mitt Romney now says that he agrees with abortion in cases of rape and incest. Ted Cruz, David Dewhurst, Rick Perry, and the Republican Party however, do not. The Republican Party's 2012 platform, seeks to make abortion unconstitutional even in cases of rape and incest.
We agree with John Cornyn that no one who shares Akin's beliefs is fit to hold public office. That includes Ted Cruz and Paul Ryan.
Yours,
Gilberto Hinojosa
Chair
Texas Democratic Party
