The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

If there's one thing we learned from the 2012 elections, it's that many male Republican candidates appear to have difficulty talking to or about women in a respectful manner. Todd Akin - "If it's a legitimate rape..." Richard Mourdock - "[Children via rape] are a gift from God." Those are just two of the many examples of male Republican candidates failing the class Smooth-Talking Women 101. In light of all these troubles, the National Republican Congressional Committee is offering tutorials to male staffers and candidates on how to better talk to and about women in a respectful manner in preparation for the 2014 elections. In light of this bit of news, I thought I'd attempt to provide some assistance to these Republican staffers and candidates. - When the topic of abortion comes up, simply say, "I don't have a giant hole down there, so I'm not sure I should be answering that question. You all know how I feel about this, but I...

First there was Todd Akin. Then there was Richard Mourdock. Now we have Arizona Representative Trent Franks taking it upon himself to discuss the matter of rape. Franks proposed a measure which would ban abortions after 20 weeks during pregnancies. This measure is currently being considered by the House Judiciary Committee. In response, Democrats have proposed an amendment to the bill which would make exceptions for rape and incest. Here's what Mr. Franks had to say about this proposed amendment: "Before, when my friends on the left side of the aisle here tried to make rape and incest the subject - because, you know, the incidence of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low. But when you make that exception, there's usually a requirement to report the rape within 48 hours. And in this case that's impossible because this is in the sixth month of gestation. And that's what completely negates and vitiates the purpose for such an amendment." Right, becau...

I really have to wonder sometimes what people are smoking when they post some of the things they do on Facebook. I just came across another one of these "what-the-hell-is-he-smoking" posts. Someone I know just posted a sign which says the following: "Liberal Rape Tips: Urinate on yourself to ruin the rapist's mood. Conservative Rape Tips: Pull out a Glock - and make him piss HIMSELF!" Are Republicans ever going to learn it's probably best that they don't talk about rape? Between Todd "vaginas-have-a-way-to-shut-that-whole-thing-down" Akin and Richard "it's-part-of-God's-plan" Mourdock's comments about rape being the ultimate deciding factor in their Congressional losses this past November, I'd think the GOP would send a memo around, which read, "Don't talk about rape!" But, here we go, just 3.5 months after election day, hearing another lovely Republican quote about rape: "Liberal Rape Ti...

Richard Mourdock - an Indiana Republican who lost to Joe Donnelly in his Senate bid last month - has recently sent the following fundraising e-mail via his finance director, Ashlee Walls: "After a bitter, hard-fought campaign, many Republicans all over the country were forced to accept defeat rather than celebrate victory. In our case, we found our campaign caught in the liberal media crosshairs. Never has Indiana seen a more obvious example of media bias by reporters more interested in defeating conservatives than reporting the news..." In the e-mail, Walls also added, "We fought back and invested heavily in a last-minute push to combat the slew of false accusations Democrats and the liberal media churned up to distract voters." Right... What were these false accusations? During a debate, when asked about a woman being impregnated through rape, Mourdock responded with the following words: "I struggled with it myself a long time but I came to realize th...

It was such a shame to see Republican Senatorial candidates Todd Akin of Missouri and Richard Mourdock of Indiana get upset in the election last night. Todd Akin's the one who talked about "legitimate rape" and that women, through their magical vaginas, could ward off rapists' sperm if they so chose, to prevent any need for an abortion. Mourdock said that if a woman got pregnant via rape, it was "something God intended." Well, upon seeing the election results, it appears as if Claire McCaskill "legitimately raped" Mr. Akin. As for Mr. Mourdock's loss, it was "something God intended."

I shouldn't be surprised by this anymore, but another Republican either already in or currently running for Congress has made an outrageous claim about rape. Earlier this year, Missouri Republican Senatorial candidate Todd Akin said that women can't get pregnant from what he termed "legitimate rape," because their vaginas had a magical power about them, which could block the passageway of the rapist's sperm and prevent pregnancy. Now it's Indiana Republican Senatorial candidate Richard Mourdock's turn to make such an asinine statement. When asked about abortion during a debate, Mourdock said: "The only exception I have to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother. I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God. I think that even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen." So, according to this man, women being raped is...