Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is the latest conservative to liken Rep. Todd Akin’s comments about “legitimate rape” and pregnancy to recent comments made by Vice President Joe Biden.
Appearing on MSNBC Thursday afternoon, Perkins confirmed that Akin was in Tampa, Fla., and that he met privately Wednesday with the conservative Council for National Policy. Perkins said his his organization is still supporting Akin in the Missouri Senate race, despite near universal calls from elected Republicans for Akin to drop out.
“I was at a later meeting with him. I have spoken to him, and, you know, this is a challenge for him. Obviously, you know, it was a Bidenism that he made. It was inexcusable, it was inappropriate. He has acknowledged as such, and he’s moving on,” Perkins said.
Biden angered Republicans earlier this month when he told a campaign rally that Mitt Romney would embolden Wall Street banks to act recklessly, saying, “They’re going to put y’all back in chains.”
Many conservatives have invoked Biden as a way to blunt the Akin incident.
On Monday Florida Rep. Connie Mack, the Republican Senate nominee, denounced Akin by saying his comment was on par with Biden’s statement.
“Like Joe Biden’s comments last week, I find Todd Akin’s comments made Sunday to be just as outrageous and offensive. Such insulting and offensive remarks from Joe Biden and Todd Akin have no place in our political discourse.”
Then the Tea Party Express group called on Akin to drop out: “Akin’s frequent ‘Bidenisms’ are distracting from the important issues at hand.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity accused the media of hypocrisy for treating the two incidents differently: “I hate the double standard … because based on this standard, Biden should be out.”
