Subject: "Legitimate rape"
From: "Debbie Wasserman Schultz" <[email-masked]>
To: "Robert Biden" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2012 23:01:19 -0400

The Democratic Party
-----------------------
Robert --

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:

http://my.democrats.org/Stand-Up-for-Women1

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:

http://my.democrats.org/Stand-Up-for-Women1

Thanks,

Debbie

Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Chair
Democratic National Committee

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