"Legitimate Rape" Issue is Romney Policy, Not Akin's

American Right To Life Shows Absurdity of Rape Exception

DENVER, Aug. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Ironically, it is the implementation of Mitt Romney's abortion policy," says the American Right To Life research director Darrell Birkey, "that would require determining whether or not there was a 'legitimate' rape."

"Missouri's U.S. Senate Candidate Todd Akin advocates the personhood position of killing no child, regardless of whether or not her father was a criminal," says ARTL Action president Jefferson George. "However, Mitt Romney himself wrote an op-ed recently in National Review saying that he opposes abortion but not for 'instances of rape'. So it is not Akin, but Mitt Romney, whose unworkable policy would require determining whether there was a 'legitimate' rape."

Agreeing with American Right To Life is the longtime vice president of the nation's first-ever "right to life" group. "Mitt Romney's criticism of congressman Akin was self-condemning," said Colorado Right To Life's Leslie Hanks. As campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg said, "Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin's statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape." Hanks added, "So the Romney campaign admits that their own policy, unless it's just phony, requires some kind of determination of rape. They're the 'legitimate rape' team."

American Right To Life agrees with Rep. Akin that he "used the wrong words in the wrong way." Birkey points out that, "Perhaps without realizing it, Todd repeated the Ron Paul-ism that was said to Piers Morgan on CNN earlier this year about legitimate rape. With a similar view to Romney's, Paul put it even worse, and called it an 'honest' rape. Likewise, Mitt Romney's policy means that if a woman was actually raped, then he would not oppose her killing the child."

"The new Republican-In-Name-Only GOP is reduced to being the conservatives who want to save social programs created by liberals," said George, head of the 527 group. "And Todd Akin could become the awkward hero from Missouri if he brings his actions in line with his principles and refrains from voting for bills, like H.R. 3, that authorize the use of tax dollars to kill the very children that we believe Aiken wants to protect."

American Right To Life's website concludes, "Finally, Romney's unworkable 'rape exception' violates the God-given right to life."

SOURCE American Right To Life