Below (at the bottom of this post) is an email from my Fox News Channel colleague Chad Pergram.
I keep hearing people saying "Rep. Todd Akin apologized" and thus everyone should move on and not consider his remark in voting. That is politics and a clever way to try to bury a problem; but that (an apology) is not the issue.
Congressman Akin's remark about "legitimate rape" does not call for an apology -- no one was insulted -- but rather it calls for scrutiny about him and what he believes. Many legitimately wonder what was/is going on inside his head.
You apologize for insults -- not for exposing what you believe, as he did in the interview with Charles Jaco. You explain your beliefs. You might say, "I have now educated myself and see my previous belief (and expression of it) was silly." That may be enough for some voters.
So... Congressman Akin should skip the apologizing and instead have a frank talk with the voters in Missouri to explain exactly what he thought, exactly what he thinks now, and exactly how he arrived at his current thoughts about rape.
The Senators now endorsing him (see below) all agree that his remark about "legitimate rape" was "unacceptable" -- but they use an apology as an effort to sweep the issue under the rug. I can understand why they might want to do that, but that is just not the issue. The issue is what does Congressman Akin think? And does his thinking impact his job?
What do you think?
Urgent: Kit Bond now backing Akin
Per Pergram-Capitol Hill
Former Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO) may have joined Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and other former Sens. John Danforth (R-MO), Kit Bond (R-MO), John Ashcroft (R-MO) and Jim Talent (R-MO) in beseeching GOP Missouri Senate nominee Todd Akin (R-MO) to step aside for the good of the party back in August.
"The issues at stake are too big and this election is simply too important," Bond and the former Missouri senators wrote.
But much like Roy Blunt on Wednesday, Bond has experienced a conversion.
"Todd's comments were unacceptable but he's apologized, I believe his regret is sincere, and it is time to focus on the national stakes in this election. Todd can win and I'll be doing what I can to help ensure the Democrats that gave us big government and job-killing policies like 'Obamacare' don't continue controlling the U.S. Senate."
Cross-posted from GretaWire.