Raw Video: Todd Akin's Controversial 'Legitimate Rape' Comments

August 19, 2012 from Associated Press

Missouri Rep. Todd Akin, a conservative Republican running for the US Senate, quickly backed off comments he made Sunday when he told an interviewer that a woman's body "has ways" to prevent pregnancy during rape, claiming he "misspoke." Watch his original comments and judge for yourself.

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Todd Akin

William Todd Akin is the former U.S. Representative for Missouri's 2nd congressional district, serving from 2001 to 2013. He is a member of the Republican Party. Born in New York City, Akin grew up in the Greater St. Louis area. After receiving his bachelor's degree from Worce... Explore this topic

Reproductive rights

Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide fre... Explore this topic

Politics of the United States

The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States, Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. The executive branch is head... Explore this topic

Abortion debate

The abortion debate refers to the ongoing controversy surrounding the moral and legal status of abortion. The two main groups involved in the abortion debate are the self-described "pro-choice" movement (emphasizing the right of women to choose whether they wish to bring a fet... Explore this topic

Rape

Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable o... Explore this topic

Women's health

Women's health refers to health issues specific to human female anatomy. These often relate to structures such as female genitalia and breasts or to conditions caused by hormones specific to, or most notable in, females. Women's health issues include menstruation, contraceptio... Explore this topic

Abortion

A forced abortion may occur when the perpetrator causes abortion by force, threat or coercion, or by taking advantage of woman's incapability to give her consent. This may also include the instances when the conduct was neither justified by medical or hospital treatment. Like ... Explore this topic

Missouri

Missouri —nicknamed The Show-Me State—is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. Missouri is the 21st most extensive and the 18th most populous of the 50 United States. Missouri comprises 114 counties and the independent city of St. Louis. The four largest urban ... Explore this topic

US Senate

Сена́т США — одна з двох палат Конгресу США, так звана верхня палата. Explore this topic

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party, also commonly called the GOP, is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, the other being the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854, it dominated politics nationally for most of the period from 1860 t... Explore this topic

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Todd Akin

Reproductive rights

Politics of the United States

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God Makes No Mistakes: Todd Akin's Outrageous Concession Speech

PBS NewsHour | Nov 6

Once considered a sure GOP win, Missouri Rep. Todd Akin lost his Senate race to Democratic challenger Claire McCaskill. Many in the party turned th...