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Obama Was Sole Senator to Refuse to Vote For Bill Protecting Rape Victims

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In a 1999 legislative vote, then-Illinois State Senator Barack Obama was the sole state senator to not vote for for a bill that would protect sexual assault victims from having the details of their cases revealed publicly.

On May 11 of that year, Obama voted “present” on a bill, ultimately made law, that allows victims of sex crimes to request that their cases be sealed from public view following a criminal conviction. Illinois Senate voting records show that Obama was the only senator who did not vote in favor of the bill.

Obama’s unique objection to voting for a bill meant to protect victims of sex crimes is a substantial departure from the picture he has attempted to paint for women voters.

The future president, it was reported then, questioned the bill’s constitutionality.

The legislation’s intent was to prevent public consumption of the explicit details of sex crimes without “good cause.”

Read more from this story HERE.

Senate Hopeful Todd Akin Gets Another Boost: McCaskill’s Husband Allegedly Cut Business Deals in Senate Dining Room

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Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill’s husband used the U.S. Senate Dining Room to cut business deals selling tax credits tied to stimulus money, a whistle-blowing executive inside his company alleged on an audio recording exclusively obtained by The Daily Caller.

“The thing that irritated me about this was he [McCaskill’s husband Joseph Shepard] entertained these outside investors in the Senate Dining Room,” the whistle-blower said. “That’s where he closed the deal.”

The whistle-blower, Craig Woods, was a longtime high-ranking official within Shepard’s business empire, serving first as chief financial officer and then as vice president and chief underwriter for Missouri Equity Investors LLC and JA Shepard Companies.

His LinkedIn page indicates he left the company in January 2011, a few months before debriefing a Republican operative who made the recording.

According to the McCaskill campaign, Woods pled guilty in the 1990s in two different cases of felony larceny and spent some time in prison after that.

Read more from this story HERE.

Missouri’s Todd Akin is Now Up Four Points Against McCaskill

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The new poll out Monday showing that Todd Akin is leading Claire McCaskill in their U.S. Senate race comes at a pivotal time.

And it better be a renewed wake-up call to all the Missouri Democrats and McCaskill supporters who might think she’s going to walk to victory over Akin because of his asinine comments on abortion.

The poll, by Republican-leaning Wenzel Strategies, shows a 49 percent to 45 percent lead for Akin. That’s up just a bit from the 45-42 lead Wenzel had for Akin in late August.

In other words, Akin isn’t losing support despite weeks of negative attack ads on him by McCaskill and her forces.

The Akin camp thinks it’s getting a bounce from the revelations last week that McCaskill’s husband benefited from his investments in federally subsidized housing.

Read more from this story HERE.

Extremism in the Defense of RINOism Is No Virtue

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Politics is a funny thing. Sometimes, the seemingly counterintuitive can become the reality, what you would not expect – based upon common sense – nevertheless is what happens. Much of this has to do with the fact that in a political system such as ours, it is easy for factional interests to become entrenched, pursuing politics for the sake of remaining in power rather than for the good of those they claim to represent. In such cases, you will find the entrenched power acting in ways that, to the uninitiated, often seem obtuse and nonsensical.

Such seems to be the case with the Republican Party. Conservatives have observed time and time again that the Party which supposedly represents their interests in our system nevertheless seems to take them for granted. Worse than this, often the entrenched interests within the Party hierarchy – commonly referred to collectively as the Establishment or the “GOP-E” – seem to be actively hostile to conservatives within the Party, often going to great lengths to stifle and block them at every turn.

There are few places where this becomes more apparent than in the way the GOP-E deals with conservative candidates who defeat moderate, Establishment candidates in primary races, or who misstep and provide an opening to the GOP-E for attack. Indeed, the Republican Party seems to be the only Party in living memory that actively seeks to destroy the electoral chances of its own candidates just to enforce the entrenched Establishment’s vision for the Party. In doing so, they don’t just hurt conservatives within their Party, but they actual help the Democrats retain seats and have greater opportunity to damage the nation as a whole.

The Democrats certainly don’t do this. Instead, that Party is more than happy to run seemingly right-leaning candidates in conservative districts in an effort to bolster their own chances for taking and retaining power. In 2008, a goodly portion of the Democratic wave was made up of quasi-conservative office-seekers attacking Republicans from their right flank, taking conservative congressional districts all across the South, the Midwest, and the Mountain West – traditionally areas of Republican strength. The GOP-E, for its part, has no problem reminding conservatives that in left-leaning districts, the Republicans who run need to be more towards the center – and in this they have a valid argument, up to a point. Yet, the GOP-E seems to also want centrist or liberal candidates for the Republican Party even in districts and states that conservatives can easily win. Hence, the seemingly nonsensical push for thoroughly unnecessary “moderate” Republicans, which only ends up undermining conservative enthusiasm, loyalty to the Party, and ultimately donation and turnout on Election Day. The GOP-E goes to great lengths to undercut conservative candidates across the country, placing its own narrow Establishment interests ahead of those of the nation and the Party as a whole.

Take, for instance, the curious case of Todd Akin, running for the Senate in Missouri. Read more from this story HERE.

GOP Minority Leader McConnell Ignores Akin in His Own Hometown, Seems to Be Supporting the Democrat

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When Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell visited St. Louis Wednesday, he did so quietly, touring Monsanto’s headquarters and holding a fundraising event for his his 2014 campaign.

Not on the Kentucky Republican’s schedule? A meeting with or an endorsement of Rep. Todd Akin, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill for her seat.

While Akin may have been persona non grata with virtually all Republicans after his inflammatory “legitimate rape” comments, only McConnell has so far toed the harsh line the GOP drew in the sand in August when they tried — in vain — to force him out of the race.

On the contrary, a day after the deadline for him to bow out of the race had passed, Akin was basking in the glow of endorsements from Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and fellow Missourian Sen. Roy Blunt, among others.

“Just like all of our GOP candidates elected in the August primary, the Missouri Republican Party stands behind Congressman Todd Akin in his race for United State Senate,” said David Cole, the chair of the Missouri GOP, in one statement.

Read more from this story HERE.

Dr. James Dobson Blasts GOP’s “Vicious” Attack on Akin

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Dr. James Dobson, whose advice about parenting, child-rearing, marriage and faith has guided millions of Americans and whose counsel on family matters has been sought by presidents, today blasted the Republican Party for abandoning a strong GOP candidate to be U.S. senator, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin.

Dobson, the founder and president of Family Talk, which produces his regular radio program, “Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk,” told WND it is “disgraceful” that the “GOP political bosses” have told Akin to drop out of his race, have withdrawn financial support and publicly maligned the congressman.

“I regret to say that Congressman Akin has been subjected to disgraceful treatment at the hands of the GOP political bosses,” Dobson said. “They have withheld funds for his campaign, even though he won the GOP primary for the Senate seat. Karl Rove and Haley Barbour have said things about his character that are untrue. Their vicious opposition could get his Democratic opponent elected in his stead. That is curious since an Akin win could give the Senate majority to the Republicans.”

Akin has endured a gauntlet of rebuke during the past few weeks over what he explained was a misstatement in an interview, when he used the phrase “legitimate rape” (i.e., actual rape) as an awkward synonym for forcible rape.

He apologized repeatedly for the error, as well as for mentioning a controversial medical theory regarding rape and conception. He also made it clear he is remaining in the race against incumbent Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat, and says he intends to win.

Read more from this story HERE.

Huckabee is right to condemn GOP for leaving wounded on battlefield

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As a former Navy enlisted man, West Point graduate, and former Army officer, I appreciate what Governor Mike Huckabee wrote to his supporters this past week. Military men never leave their wounded on the battlefield. And that is what has happened with the embattled Congressman Todd Akin, running for a Senate seat against Democrat Claire McCaskill in Missouri.

The Republican establishment joined the Democrat Party and the media in relentless attacks over Congressman Akin’s misstatement about abortion and rape during the past few days.

As Governor Huckabee wrote, Congressman Akin has apologized for his inappropriate remarks and he has resoundingly rejected what he said. He is guilty only of wanting to see every living being protected. However, many of the establishment in the Republican Party, who do not agree with his pro-life views, joined the Democrat firing squad against the congressman.

Democrats never form circular firing squads when one of their own, such as Bill Clinton, make mistakes. The Republican establishment, on the other hand, gladly form such firing squads against their own elected officials when they are frightened. This needs to stop. Indeed, an apology is owed by many of them to this distinguished Member of Congress, Todd Akin.

[To see the email which former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee wrote to his supporters on August 23, 2012, click HERE.]

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Jim Backlin, is a former Reagan administration official and congressional chief of staff after a career in business. A West Point graduate and Vietnam veteran, Jim is chief lobbyist for the Christian Coalition of America.

Huckabee: Who Ordered the Establishment’s Hit on Akin?

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Photo credit: Gage Skidmore

The deadline came and went on Tuesday for Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin to drop out over an incorrect comment he made about rape. The Republican establishment put unprecedented and intense pressure on Todd to quit, including five current and past Missouri Senators. But in an exclusive interview on my radio show, Akin said he’s “in this race to the end.” He said he admitted he misspoke and that his statement was not accurate, but he’d sincerely apologized. You can listen to the audio from that interview on my website.

The Party’s leaders have for reasons that aren’t rational, left him behind on the political battlefield, wounded and bleeding, a casualty of his self-inflicted, but not intentional wound. In a Party that supposedly stands for life, it was tragic to see the carefully orchestrated and systematic attack on a fellow Republican. Not for a moral failure or corruption or a criminal act, but for a misstatement which he contritely and utterly repudiated. I was shocked by GOP leaders and elected officials who rushed so quickly to end the political life of a candidate over a mistaken comment in an interview. This was a serious mistake, but it was blown out of proportion not by the left, but by Akin’s own Republican Party. Is this what the party really thinks of principled pro-life advocates? Do we forgive and forget the verbal gaffes of Republicans who are “conveniently pro-life” for political advantage, but crucify one who truly believes that every life is sacred?

Who ordered this “Code Red” on Akin? There were talking point memos sent from the National Republican Senatorial Committee suggesting language to urge Akin to drop out. Political consultants were ordered to stay away from Akin or lose future business with GOP committees. Operatives were recruited to set up a network of pastors to call Akin to urge him to get out. Money has changed hands to push him off the plank. It is disgraceful. From the spotlights of political offices and media perches, it may appear that the demand for Akin’s head is universal in the party. I assure you it is not. There is a vast, but mostly quiet army of people who have an innate sense of fairness and don’t like to see a fellow political pilgrim bullied. If Todd Akin loses the Senate seat, I will not blame Todd Akin. He made his mistake, but was man enough to admit it and apologize. I’m waiting for the apology from whoever the genius was on the high pedestals of our party who thought it wise to not only shoot our wounded, but run over him with tanks and trucks and then feed his body to the liberal wolves. It wasn’t just Todd Akin that was treated with contempt by the thinly veiled attack on Todd Akin. It was all the people who have faithfully knocked doors, made calls, and made sacrificial contributions to elect Republicans because we thought we were welcome in the party. Todd Akin owned his mistake. Who will step up and admit the effort being made to discredit Akin and apologize for the sleazy way it’s been handled?

I’ve always believed and still do, that if you don’t honor your friendships, you don’t honor yourself. And I consider Todd a friend. So I will join Todd as often as I can, in his fight for our Party’s pro-life policies, traditional marriage and our efforts to rein in the massive expansion of government under President Obama. Todd is being systematically scourged for one thing he said. Is that more important than what Claire McCaskill has DONE over her 6 years in the Senate? If you’d like to join the fight, and help defeat a Democrat Senator standing in the way of a conservative majority, I encourage you to join me. The party has decided it won’t help. In fact, it has decided that it will try to cut off the supply lines to Akin to pressure him to exit and let the party bosses overturn the voters of Missouri and pick their own candidate. If this can happen to Todd Akin, who is next?

Read more from this story HERE.

Enough on Akin’s ignorance, where’s the media outrage over Obama’s support for infanticide?

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In the wake of the Akin controversy, Jill Stanek points out that the US Senate candidate’s verbal missteps do not even register next to Obama’s radical support for infanticide.  She gives a brief history on the President’s endorsement of killing babies born alive after abortions:

“As Illinois state senator Obama opposed the Illinois Born Alive Infant Protection Act, designed to give abortion survivors constitutional rights. Obama said giving premature born babies rights would be unconstitutional. Period. That’s what he said. Read page 86 of the senate floor transcript, when Obama was the only senator to speak against Born Alive. Read what Obama said very carefully:

Whenever we define a pre-viable fetus as a person that is protected by the Equal Protection Clause or other elements of the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a 9-month-old – child that was delivered to term.

That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place. I mean, it – it would essentially bar abortions, because the Equal Protection Clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, and if this is a child, then this would be an anti-abortion statute. For that purpose, I think it would probably be found unconstitutional.

Obama’s support of abortion to the point of condoning infanticide could not be clearer. It is grotesque, barbaric, sick and yes, crazy. It is the radical belief of our current president of the United States.

And the press continues to minimize, distort, rationalize, or ignore it, because the press is pro-abortion and likes Obama.”  Read more from this story HERE.

Erik Erickson weighed in as well:

Todd Akin, the Republican Senate nominee in Missouri, made an inarticulate and rather dumb statement about rape and abortion on television in Missouri. He subsequently clarified his remarks. Congressman Akin, like many devout Christians, does not believe in a rape exception for abortion.

Naturally, the very same left that gave Joe Biden a pass on his “put y’all back in chains” comment is horrified by Todd Akin’s remarks.

Todd Akin was inarticulate. Some are now accusing him of being pro-rape. The people horrified by Todd Akin’s remarks are, I’m sure, thrilled to have a President who defended infanticide. I’ll take Todd Akin’s inarticulate remarks over an infanticide supporter any day of the week.

And no, this is not hyperbole. President Obama was the only member of the Illinois State Senate to speak in favor of the position that a child who survives an abortion and fully exits the womb can still be killed by the abortionist.

Read more from this story HERE.