DNC Chair Ties Akin to Romney/Ryan
Debbie Wasserman Schultz sent the letter below out, and I’ve redacted the fund raising links. When I contrast her letter to the hyperbolic “Help Mitt save America from [Obamacare! Socialism!, Shariah!, Illegal immigration!, etc.”] push surveys that I get regularly from the Romney/Ryan campaign & PACs, Debbie is remarkably lucid, factual, and reasonable by comparison.
No doubt the GOP will squawk over her packaging of Romney/Ryan with Todd Akin, saying that Mitt disavowed him, but words are just words while GOP actions across the country the past three years demonstrate time after time that the GOP totally wants to abolish abortion, that they hate family planning, that they want to limit access to birth control, and that many among them want to take us back to the patriarchal dark ages - when women’s issues were managed by men. Todd Akin is not an outlier among their norm, he’s just a little less polished, and his words aren’t just words, they are backed up by actions, like working with Paul Ryan, Romney’s running mate, to redefine Rape in a bill.
Here’s the letter:
Friend —
In a year that has brought us no shortage of stunningly backward statements from Republicans on issues affecting women’s health, the GOP Senate nominee from Missouri may have just taken the cake.
This morning, Rep. Todd Akin, explaining his opposition to abortion even in cases of rape, said that victims of “legitimate rape” don’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
What exactly, Rep. Akin, is an “illegitimate” rape? And what are these unnamed “ways” women have of avoiding pregnancy after being (legitimately) raped?
Now, Akin’s choice of words isn’t the real issue here. The real issue is a Republican party — led by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan — whose policies on women and their health are dangerously wrong.
I’m outraged at the Republicans trying to take women back to the dark ages — if you agree, join me in taking a stand for women.
Really, it’s deeply concerning that Republicans continue to support legislation that is, quite literally, dangerous for women.
Mitt Romney famously says he would “get rid of” federal funding for Planned Parenthood if he had the chance. His running mate, Paul Ryan, was one of more than 200 Republican cosponsors of a piece of legislation that would have narrowed the definition of rape.
Can you imagine — the same Republican House that refuses to pass a jobs bill jumped at the opportunity to make life harder for victims of rape?
And what do Romney and Ryan think of Akin’s latest statement? They’ve been trying to distance themselves from it — but Congressman Ryan has already partnered with Akin on a whole host of issues that restrict women’s ability to make their own health care decisions.
This kind of “leadership” is dangerously wrong for women — and I can’t sit by and watch as these out of touch Republicans like Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan, and Todd Akin continue to roll back women’s rights.
It’s time for us to move forward — not back — on women’s rights. Take a stand for women now.
Thanks,
DebbieDebbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair, Democratic National Committee