this is not the todd akin problem, it's the todd akin party. when local news outlets in states like pennsylvania covered the controversy look how they covered it. >> ryan like romney distanced himself from akin's remarks but in congress he joined him in opposing abortions even when a woman is raped. >> should abortions be available to women who have been raped? >> i'm proud of my record. >> in congress, paul ryan joined todd akin. this attempt to paint akin has the isolated in the party has not gone according to plain in the last few days. because a, the press has done its job, and b, the republican parties position is the todd akin position. the platform adopts for the entire party the todd akin policy of no exceptions, no empathy for rape or incest victims. mitt romney and because he was all over the platform process, does this mean they're running the presidential ticket on todd akin's abortion policy? >> as far as our platform is concerned, this is the platform of the republican party. it's not the platform of mitt romney. >> oh. the republ

. >> todd akin throws the missouri senate race into chaos. >> the republican party now has a todd akin problem. >> with incendiary comments about rape and abortion. >> so-called legitimate rain. >> legitimate rape. >> if it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to shut this thing down. >> this caveman view of the sexes. >> his views expressed were offensive. rape is rape. >> this created a huge problem for the romney campaign. >> paul ryan is being forced to defend his own record. >> there is no daylight between paul ryan's views and todd akin's views. >> last year paul ryan -- >> this personhood amendment. >> no taxpayer funding for abortion act. >> paul ryan was a cosponsor of that. >> he joined with mr. akin. >> their ticket suffers from pathological hypocrisy. >> i believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. >> do i believe the supreme court should overturn roe v. wade? >> yes. what they believe is women don't have a right to their own bodies. >> my presidency will be a pro-life presidency. >> i'm not for federal funding of abortions. >> planned parentho

this is not the todd akin problem, it's the todd akin party. when local news covered it, listen to how they covered it. >> ryan like romney distanced himself from akin's remarks but in congress he joined him in opposing abortions even when a woman is rained. >> should they be available to a woman who is rained. >> i'm proud of my record. >> in congress, paul ryan joined todd akin. >> this has not gone according to plan in the last few days and that's because a., the press has done it's job, and b, the republican parties position is the todd akin position. they adopt the todd akin policy of no exceptions or emp think for rain and invest victims. since they're about to nominate mitt romney and because he was all over the platform process, does this mean they're running the presidential ticket on todd akin's presidential policy. >> this is the platform of the republican party, not the platform of mitt romney. >> oh, the republican party platform has known to do with the presidential nominee. rnc communications director, sean spicer, tried it as we

but this is bigger than congressman akin.t the positions and policies that certain republicans have and in particular, certain members of the republican party express. i don't think he misspoke. i think this is what he believes -- >> is the position and the policy the issue here? you have people who are conservatives, you have christian conservatives, maybe even people who are not religious, who do not want to see abortion legal in this country. that's not perhaps where he made his mistake. he's had this position as rnc points out, party platform has been the same 2004, 2008. when you start to get into language as he put it, legitimate rape, false rape, or even in the language that he -- with the co-sponsored legislation, forcible rape, that's why we're talking about this today, not that there are some people opposed to abortion. >> that's the distinction. this is not about abortion. but when you start making distinctions about right rape and wrong rape, this is not a -- this is not a discussion that i think any sensible or s

is this out of character for akin?you think his supporters detracted by that. >> no, i've never heard akin make that particular statement before, but he has made a number of statements on a number of issues over the years. he's very up front with what he believes. that's one thing that many people including reporters find extremely refreshing about congress akin. you can ask him a question, and you'll get an honest answer about what he believes and what he thinks. in this case he was on a radio show with one of my respected journalist colleagues in st. louis, and he was asked about abortion and rape, and i want to make it clear even in his corrective statements that he made since then, he has not backed off from his key point which is he does not believe in abortion in cases of rape. it's just a matter of the language that he used. and in fact, he was on former governor mike huckabee's show today, and he made comments to the effect that he should have said forcible rape, but he is not walking back from his position. he

todd akin and paul ryan. when you think todd akin, think paul ryan.an could have said the very same thing. that todd akin said on sunday. it is just that paul ryan wasn't dumb enough to say it. he believes it. he wasn't dumb enough to say it. let's go to denver, colorado. hi greg. thanks for joining us. >> caller: how you doing bill? >> bill: i'm doing good. thanks. >> caller: what is next for these guys? they don't like children born out of wedlock so maybe they're going to go for the victim of a rape should also have to marry her attacker just so that they can have a family unit. these people are disgusting. i can't believe they get elected each election year. here in colorado, we had senator -- candidate republican candidate senator buck who not only had this young lady where he said she was not raped but they had an amendment on there and he has the same position as the rest of the republican party and then they wonder why this guy didn't win? i hope we get to run against this year. i really do. >> bill: you're right greg. there is another example

congressman ryan publicly turned on his friend, todd akin today, but congressman akin still has some supporters. the president of the family research counsel action pac, connie mackey said today, qu"to akin is getting a very bad break here. we support him fully and completely." paul ryan is scheduled to speak to that group next month at the value voters summit. joining me now are msnbc's steve kornacki and karen finney. karen finney, paul ryan is desperately trying to flip-flop today on his position and his history on abortion. is it even possible, instantaneously, in one day, to suddenly flip over to what is the new romney campaign position of, oh, okay, abortion in the case of rape cases, that's okay with us. >> you know, actually, lawrence, i think it's a little bit more cynical and sinister than that. because i think they're actually not completely flipping their position. they've gone back to the position of creating different types of rape, right? because if you say, forcible rape -- if you say rape, but say you believe in forcible rape, then that suggests that you believe that

over akin. he go? the missouri senate candidate hunkers down. >> the mistake i made was in the words i said, not in the heart i hold. i ask for your forgiveness. >> stood up. akin is a no-show last night on piers morgan. >> because if you don't keep your

aids say he will not call on akin to leave the race. peter alexander is with the romney campaign in new hampshire. we saw the town hall earlier today, governor romney did not mention this nor asked by a question by the people in the audience. we know he conducted or is in the process of doing this local interview. do you get the sense the campaign feels he needs to say something stronger at this point? >> they feel pretty strongly what they said is as strong as they will get. i will tell you what the statement is we heard in a conversation that mitt romney had with a reporter a little bit earlier today. he said specifically congressman akin's comments on rape are, quote, insulting and inexcusable and wrong. he said like millions of other americans we found them to be offensive and reached tout to his advisers to get a sense whether they would go further and call for him to resign his seat in congress or to resign his senate nomination. the advisers made it clear this is as far as governor romney will go on this issue. it is important to

today, todd akin suggested to sean hannity that mitt romney was using akin's remarks to close his deficitmong female voters. >> if you were in romney's position, don't you think that he may have bid this thing up and made a bigger deal about it than he needed to? why couldn't he run his race and i run mine? >> the interview came moments before a 6:00 p.m. eastern standard time deadline for todd akin to easily exit the senate race, leaving that race now will require the complexity of a court order. as the deadline approached, mitt romney released a statement reading in part, "i think akin should exit the senate race." earlier today, todd akin released a new television ad that will air in missouri. >> rape is an evil act. i used the wrong words in the wrong way, and for that i apologize. as the father of two daughters, i want tough justice for predators. i have a compassionate heart for the victims of sexual assault and i pray for them. the fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy. the truth is rape has many victims. the mistake i made was in the words i said, not in the heart i hold. i ask for

democrats are happy to have todd akin around. todd akin is mccaskell's friend.t gives them issues around abortion and planned parenthood. they have a 22--point lead in fav favorability among women. you have leaders in tampa deciding on the language on the platform. they will have the language in the platform that bans abortion in the case of rape. you hope they have todd akin to kick around in the race. >> that bill would redefine rape. they call it forceable rape. i wonder, shira, what is the likelihood this is going to stick or hurt paul ryan? >> i don't know it will hurt paul ryan that much in the long term. a lot of republican members signed on to the bill you just mentioned. >> only one is running for vice president. >> that is absolutely a good point. very true. i think when people think of paul ryan, they think of his budget. it is no secret that paul ryan is a pro-life candidate. this timing right after the ryan pick is also very inconvenient for republicans and right into the convention. they are discussing their platform. the timing could not be worse.

she wants todd akin in there. to the larger point, you know, this is opening up a real divide within the republican ranks, and i think you and joan hit the point really on the head, which is that people look at this debate from a distance and say, well, they're not really condemning necessarily the policy that he's espousing. they're condemning the dumbness of the language. i think that more than anything else has a chance to turn off voters or at least drive them towards mccaskill in the fall. >> sam, you were in that room today. did you think that the president was going to address this issue? >> well, i wasn't in the room, sadly, but i did watch it online. you made me -- you have exposed me as a poor white house correspondent. thank you, ed. did i think he was going to address the issue? of course, it was the big issue of the day, but it's not just that this was a day-long topic. this has been sort of the underriding theme of this election in some respects. this whole notion that female voters don't have a home

akin is a rapist, by any means. the fact is, he is a sponsor of major legislation that redefines rape. while he is the fall guy being asked to get out of town by sundown, there are 232 other people who voted for changing the definition of rape. legitimate rape, forceable rape. i can tell you we had the publisher of the "milwaukee journal sentinel" along with the commissioner of health be commissioned by united way to do a study on teen pregnancy here in our town. milwaukee had been in the top ten for teen pregnancy for decades. six years ago, the study found that 71% of underage pregnancies were as a result of adult men impregnating underage girls. the problem with his words and his apology is it perpetuates the, oh, she wanted it frame of mind. that somehow the victim is responsible for her own rape. >> congresswoman. >> i can tell you -- >> quickly as we talk about this and you point out the great distinction. action matters too. the republicans have drawn connections with todd akin and paul ryan now especially si

and then there's todd akin, boy, is there todd akin. as ed would say, let's get to work. deadlines. deadlines are exciting in politics. they're just great. if you're a reporter, you're always just kind of waiting there for something to happen. it's a problem. it's my problem. deadlines mean something has to happen. it's great. but today we had a truly exciting and unlikely deadline on our hands. one we didn't expect even a week ago. by 5:00 p.m. central time, republican senate candidate todd akin, he had the theory that the female reproductive system includes some kind of spermacide. this is a really big deal. as my friend rachel maddow explained last night, she hosts "the rachel maddow show". you've probably heard of it. it's terrific. you should watch it every day. if akin didn't drop out today, it becomes really hard for him to drop out. he's got to get a court order. it's a total mess. but today we heard akin's decision, which was the most welcome big-d decision since lebron james decided to take his talents to south beach. >> right off the bat to make things clear, i want to ma

akin's return message to romney? mind your own business. >> if you were in romney's position, don't you think that he may have bit this thing off and made a bigger deal about it than he needed to? why couldn't he run his race and i run mine? >> five days from now republicans rally in tampa assuming a little thing like a potential real hurricane names issac doesn't get in the way. republican leaders made it clear akin ain't welcome. >> the chairman of the republican national committee does not want you to go to the convention. are you going? >> no. i honor their particular wishes. >> fast forward a week later when the president and democrats meet in charlotte. prominent women will help take up the line of attack against mitt romney. sandra fluke, cecil richards and lilly ledbetter recently added to the speaking roster as a new nbc news/"wall street journal" poll shows the president trouncing romney with issues of concern to women. obama 52 to 24% before akin's picture came into all of this. barack obama at 52. mitt ro

ask todd akin to leave the missouri senate race.g his comments polls showed akin ahead of claire mccaskill. what impact will the controversy have on his can daes. the "washington post" posing the question. is todd akin talking himself out of a senate seat? the writer joins me aaron, it was posed before the development that is took place even in the last hour. is the answer right now he has talked himself out of the senate seat? >> it is looking more and more like that's the case now. the latest example is that the biggest republican super pac, american cross roads and the national republican senate committee have both announced they're pulling money out of this race so long as todd akin is the candidate here. what it means is if he does decide to stay in he'll have a difficult time competing financially with senator claire mccaskill. >> looking at his history he is on the house science committee that i think so many people will find just stunning. right now we everyone a number of medical professionals in missouri planned a news con

you've worked with todd akin.t do you, as soon who has seen him across the aisle, worked in the congress with him, what do you make of his comments? >> well, first of all, he's an idealog idealogue, but sometimes, actions speak louder than words. todd akin expressed what the republican agenda has been and particularly the agenda of my colleague paul ryan. there is no daylight between the way that paul ryan feels about a woman's right to make choices about her own bold and her own health care, as todd akin does. and so, i don't really see the daylight there, no matter how much the romney-ryan ticket tries to distance itself. it can't distance itself from the fact that paul ryan has a record of voting against a woman's right to make decisions about her body. as a record of supporting these so-called personal personhood amendment. has a record of trying to take back a woman's right to get health care in a way she chooses, mammograms and cervical exams. it's not an accident we say there's a war on women. the reason wh

todd akin, of course, not alone.e human life amendment supported also by mitt romney. this raises the stakes on this important issue, one that emily's list has been concerned for about for a long time. emily's list, a great organizations of workers and leaders for many, many years supporting women democratiblec women, proceed-choice democratic women running for house, senate or governor around the country. jess mcintosh is the deputy communications director in studio? >> thank you for having me. good morning. >> thanks for coming in jess. claire mccaskill. give us a little assessment of that race a week ago and today. it's changed. >> it has. it has changed. missouri is always going to be a challenge. it's a republican state. that said, senator mccaskill is one of the best legislators that we have. >> ter ifbling? >> for her state. she is the kind of independent leader that mezearmeasure e really wants. we thought she had a fighter's chance this year for sure. >> she has been the number 1 target. >> of outside spendi

todd akin was way ahead.en we look at some of the seats that are being targeted, you have been in this game a long time. nebraska, north dakota, montana, wisconsin, virginia, missouri. do you think with this todd akin controversy that mccaskill can hold on to her seat, do you think the democrats will hold on to the senate? >> frankly, i never gave up on claire. anyone who knows her knows she's a fighter and she is the mainstream candidate and he is the extreme candidate. but here's why i think you're right to look at a broader look at the country. when people look at todd akin, they will shocked but then when they look beyond that to see what mitt romney has said about women's health and what paul ryan has said and done and what legislation he has co-sponsored that really go after women, i think we'll see a bigger gender gap across the country. i really do. i have been in this a long time and one of the things that's been frustrating to me is i've been going around saying there's a war on women and it isn't j

mitt romney cannot stop todd akin. paul ryan cannot stop todd akin.nn coulter cannot stop todd akin. karl rove cannot stop todd akin. the only people, only people who can stop todd akin from going to the united states senate now are the voters of missouri and their senator, claire mccaskill. joining me now, msnbc's joy reid and richard wolffe and michelle goldberg of "newsweek" and "the daily beast." let's listen to what rush limbaugh had to say today, advising republicans how to handle this issue. >> for any and all of you republicans, when you are asked why you don't have a rape exception in the party platform on abortion, don't answer it. don't get into the substance. don't answer the question, republicans. don't go anywhere near it. it's a setup, it's a trap. you turn it right back around on them, and you ask the reporter if they've asked the democrats about the extreme aspects of their position. >> joy reid, yet another example of why rush limbaugh could never spend a day as a political candidate himself. of course, there is nothing extreme in th

akin holds. it remains at the forefront of their convention. >> to essentially patronize the social conservatives during the platform and say yes, we're going to get rid borks then not do it because duh, the country doesn't want them to do that. and they've managed to make a lot of hay. social conservatives have been become impatient with this and now, they're in the position, house to start trying to do something about it and it's creating great problems for the republican party. >> is this position that akin has taken likely in your opinion to have any effect on this romney ryan ticket come november? >> the position he has taken that he's going to stay in on or abortion? >> abortion. >> it's going to make them talk about abortion. it's going to make paul ryan declare himself having moved closer to the mitt romney view. there is an exception for rape and where the definition of rape remains as it is commonly understand in the english language and not by house republicans. i suspect ryan will hav

akin said no, i'm not going to. romney as the potential head of the republican party and he has called for a member of congress who has said something absolutely foul about women and rape, and he has called them to step down and that person has stepped down, what does that tell you about today's republican party? i don't know so much, governor, whether or not it's a strategy, or whether or not simply on more instances or not mitt romney is very comfortable with the republican party because he didn't choose to run as an independent. he didn't choose to run as a democrat. he has chosen to run as a republican knowing what the republican party platform is, and also knowing that unless at least in today's republican party when you look at all the damages that has been done to the brand and when you see that for the most part if you are called for example a moderate republican, that there is no room for you on the republican party, then one has to think that mitt romney's views are aligned with the strongest part and the

it's a bad sign for akin.ut rush limbaugh and sean hannity and mitch mcconnell, all of these guys want to say, oh, this guy, he's out there. we don't agree with him on anything. he's not representative of our party. and i'm sure the vast majority of republicans don't actually buy into the junk science that todd akin was peddling. his positions, on the other hand, his policy positions, where he actually stands on abortion and a woman's right to make her own decisions are right in line with everything about the republican party. and that's the problem. when the republicans are couching their position in these lofty terms about life and a culture of life, it's one thing. when you have very graphic images of women who have been raped being forced to carry that baby to, you know, to actually have that baby, against their will, that's a totally different image for the american public. so, yes, they want to distance themselves from his words, but they're not doing anything to distance themselves from his actual polic

republican standard bearer mitt romney is now leading the call for todd akin to step aside, but akin, who missed a 6:00 p.m. eastern time deadline for withdrawing, said he hadn't done anything morally or ethically wrong. all he did, akin said, is get a word in the wrong place. wyatt andrews begins our coverage. >> reporter: stunned by all the back lash, todd akin insisted that his comments about rape and women were just a mistake and that he could still win the missouri senate seat held by incumbent democrat claire mccaskill. akin announced his final decision on the mike huckabee radio broadcast. >> rape can lead to pregnancy. >> reporter: akin also apologized in this ad for suggesting that rape victims are somehow able to avoid pregnancy. >> i ask for your forgiveness. >> reporter: but forgiveness from mainstream republicans isn't happening. today mitt romney suggested that akin quit. paul ryan called him yesterday to ask directly. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell told akin when the future of our country is at stake, sorry is not sufficient. the republican party withdrew $5 mil

akin says, forget about it. i'm not going anywhere. this is after blunt demands from members of his own party, in fact, from tea party members, too. this firestorm erupted when he told an interviewer that pregnancy was caused by legitimate rape and that kind of rape is rare and this is the weird part, preventible from the victim. can i remind you that congressman akin was on a science committee and said that pregnancy is preventible by the victim during a possible, quote, legitimate rape. he apologized for all of this, folks, and said he misspoke and he said it over and over and over again, i misspoke, i misspoke, i misspoke. didn't say what he misspoke about but here is what he is saying today and in one word, forgiveness. take a look at the brand-new ad. >> i'm todd akin and i approve this message. rape is an evil act and i used the word wrongs in the wrong way and for that i apologize. as a father of two daughters, i want tough justice for predators. i have couple passionate heart for the victims of sexual assault. the fact is, rape

akin, quote, governor romney and congressman ryan disagree with mr. akin's statement. a romney/ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape. that's new. that's new for paul ryan at least. and it's sort of new for mitt romney, too. since that initial statement was released, paul ryan has made no less than six public appearances. how has he avoided it at all these appearances, being asked about the brand new policy position he's advocating now that he wants to be vice president. it's in total contradiction to every step he has taken as a congressman. the only difference between paul ryan's position and todd akin's position is todd akin is willing to use fake science to act like fake rapes and invest don't exist. paul ryan has not bothered to feed you the fake science. he by apparently this disagreement statement they put out, he presumably knows that rape victims and incest victims do sometimes get pregnant and he knows what he wants the government to do, force those women to bear those pregnancies against their will until term. which one is worse?