Todd Akin Thinks He Was ‘Assassinated By The Media’ Just Like Joe McCarthy

Former Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich listens while Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., speaks during a campaign stop at Bennett Packaging, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Lee's Summit, Mo. Gin... Former Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich listens while Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., speaks during a campaign stop at Bennett Packaging, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012, in Lee's Summit, Mo. Gingrich appeared with Akin at a pair of Kansas City-area fundraisers Tuesday as part of what Akin's campaign hopes will be a $1 million advertising push in the final week before the Nov. 6 election. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Todd Akin on Monday said that he’d been “assassinated by the media” in his failed 2012 Senate campaign against Claire McCaskill (D-MO), much like the late Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-WI).

Akin invoked McCarthy, who was denounced in the 1950s for leading a witch hunt against alleged Communists, in a phone interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“I use McCarthy as an example of someone who was assassinated by the media, so he had no credibility,” Akin told the Post-Dispatch, drawing a comparison to what he said were “intentional and dishonest” distortions of his comments on rape and pregnancy during his Senate campaign.

Akin offers a defense of his infamous “legitimate rape” remark in his new book, “Firing Back.” Fox News host Megyn Kelly grilled the former congressman on that defense Monday night, accusing Akin of “dialing it back” after apologizing for the comment.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. sure,mo is a big msnbc watching state.

  2. Avatar for jw1 jw1 says:

    Headline Fix:
    Todd Akin Was ‘Euthanized By The Media’ Unlike Like Joe McCarthy.

    jw1

  3. …and you know what? I’m ok with that Todd.

  4. Too easy. Like shooting a brain-dead fossil fish in a dry barrel.

  5. Todd Akin is dead to me.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

37 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for pluckyinky Avatar for druid800 Avatar for jw1 Avatar for cablejunkie Avatar for meri Avatar for dolono Avatar for bluestatedon Avatar for chammy Avatar for krusher Avatar for tsalagi51 Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for teenlaqueefa Avatar for callmeeric Avatar for chelsea530 Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for Dog Avatar for DelrayDame Avatar for candirue Avatar for captaincommonsense Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for antisachetdethe

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: