AP’s local political correspondent Kristen Wyatt updates on the eager push by Colorado Democrats to link embattled Missouri U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin to their opponents.
There’s a lot to work with.
From Colorado to New Hampshire to Illinois, Democrats already are using the incendiary comments about rape made by the Missouri congressman and Republican Senate candidate as a political bludgeon. In interviews, news releases and tweets, they’ve blasted Akin for saying victims of “legitimate rape” are able to naturally prevent pregnancy and tried to tie their opponents to legislation he’s supported.
Those moves might only be the beginning, as Akin has so far refused to drop out of the race despite pleas from top Republicans, including GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and the widespread condemnation of his remarks.
“People are disgusted and appalled,” said Joe Mikosi, a Democratic congressional candidate in suburban Denver, who began tying his opponent, GOP Rep. Mike Coffman, to Akin within hours of learning about his comments this past Sunday.
Miklosi sent a tweet that read, “Mike Coffman and Todd Akin have been fighting side by side against women in Congress,” [Pols emphasis] and posted a video online included footage of Akin praising Coffman on the House floor.
Democratic Rep. Ed Perlmutter sent a short release this morning tying his GOP challenger Joe Coors, Jr. to Akin via the “Personhood” abortion ban initiative Coors backed in 2010:
Wheat Ridge, CO — Today, Rep. Ed Perlmutter (CO-07) called on Republican Joe Coors to join other Colorado and national Republicans calling for Rep. Todd Akin to stand aside and clarify his position on women’s’ reproductive health issues. The people of the 7th Congressional District have a right to know directly from Joe Coors where he stands.
Here are the facts — Republican Joe Coors:
Gave $1,000 to fund Personhood initiative in Colorado in 2010, but refuses to take a position now that he’s running for office. The measure in 2010 & 2012 outlaws abortion even in the cases of rape & incest.
http://kdvr.com/2012/08/10/118…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…
http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the…Joe Coors has been silent on calling for Rep. Akin to step aside and on the issue of outlawing abortions in the case of rape and incest.
http://kdvr.com/2012/08/10/118…The GOP platform supports outlawing all forms of abortion even in the cases of rape & incest.
http://politicalticker.blogs.c…Joe Coors — he’s more extreme than GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
The days-long persistent domination of political news coverage by the Todd Akin controversy, worsened by the GOP’s moves to distance themselves from Akin personally while aligning themselves with his underlying position in their official party platform, has given Democrats a better opportunity to damage their Republican opponents on the issue of reproductive choice than anything they could have done themselves. Where Republicans like Coors and Rep. Mike Coffman had hoped to skate by without this issue coming to the fore, now it’s irrevocably front and center–and they are on the wrong side of their competitive swing districts.
They always were, but now they have to reckon with it. They can’t just change the subject.
Each day Akin is the yardstick Republicans are measured by, a political disaster is unfolding.
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Coffman and Coors have made statements. Those statements are available and there is nothing else to say.
the whole Republican team and easily wipe this whole Akin business from the news cycle . . . all he would have to do is release a few years tax returns. They must be really awful . . .
Look at the poster next to Akin. They’re not even talking about abortion, this dialogue was about the deficit. This is a completely dishonest attack from a desperate underdog candidate. Also, it only has 200 views after being up for several days. Who the hell cares?
There’s a little character assassination in all of you, too.
Some of us have work to do in the mornings. Unlike all you welfare recipients just getting out of bed.
… mentioning “welfare” as much as possible because, you know, the President is black. Go team Klan!
when you finally score that coveted breakfast shift at Denny’s you know there’s going to be a bit of chest thumping.
I get it now. You’re a parody of an idiot who can only parrot GOP talking points! Well played, sir.
to assigned accountability to Republicans for their positions, we would have a definitive parody of politics.
Notice how the little dweeb avoids stating any position these soulful matters or how excited he is that he gets to spend eternity in magical Heaven discussing the good old days when he was a mouthpiece for the bigots and misogynists of the Republican Party.
been here a little sooner, but he really struggled with the pronunciation of “assassination” today . . .
Now that you’re here, how about answering the question some of us have been asking. What’s your stand on abortion, including whether you think it should be allowed in cases of rape and incest? To save the mother’s life? That’s what we do here. We express and discuss our opinions which is different than just posting talking points.
Like Romney, ArapGOP doesn’t have an opinion. His posts here are nothing more than propaganda droplets, there’s no argument, no logic, no nothing. Sort of like Romney speeches.
The problem for the Republican Party is its commitment to removing the Constitutional right for a woman to have an abortion no matter what the circumstances. It’s written in the Party Platform, and most Republicans from Todd Akin to Paul Ryan are consistent on that point.
The Republican position on women’s health has already lost support from women, now they’re trying to lose the senior citizen vote….
Republican popularity also dropping dramatically among older voters due to the goal of defunding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
…”Corporations are people too, my friend” the right to vote. Citizens United was just the first step in that plan.
Then they won’t need the air-breathers (no, I didn’t say mouth-breathers) they currently depend upon.