Indiana Senate aspirant Richard Mourdock has put his Republican colleagues in a bind, none more so than Mitt Romney. Like fellow GOP Senate hopeful Rep. Todd Akin in nearby Missouri, Mourdock made an ill-received comment about rape and abortion ? "I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen" ? potentially costing the GOP not only a win but control of the Senate. But unlike with Akin, Romney recently endorsed Mourdock in a TV ad and continues to back him. "We disagree on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest but still support him," Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said Wednesday. President Obama's re-election team and other Democrats are hammering Romney over this, and his continued support of Mourdock could hurt him with the much-coveted suburban women both campaigns are courting. So why has Romney stuck by Mourdock? Here, five theories:
1. Romney doesn't share Mourdock's views
What do a few "weird comments coming from one candidate for a down ticket office" have to do with Romney? former California GOP chairman Ron Nehring asks Politico. Nothing. Unlike Mourdock, Romney backs abortion exceptions for rape and incest. Case closed. Yes, "Mourdock will and should pay a price for this" foolish detour into theology, but Romney shouldn't and won't, says Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post. Romney has noted the differences in their abortion policies; "I don't expect he'll have anything to say further, and if he does, he's nuts." Just because Obama wants to focus on "trivial, gotcha moments" doesn't mean the rest of us have to play along.
SEE MORE: The presidential debate: Did Mitt Romney win the argument over the economy?
2. Abandoning Mourdock would be self-defeating
The list of high-profile Republicans backing away from Mourdock is growing ? notables include Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Scott Brown (Mass.), Dean Heller (Nev.), and Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), plus Rep. Mike Pence, who's running for governor of Indiana ? but there's no upside for Romney in disowning the candidate, says Aaron Blake at The Washington Post. Thanks to the TV endorsement, Mourdock is already pretty closely tied to Romney, adds Alexander Burns at Politico, and every prominent Republican who criticizes Mourdock makes it "harder for the Indiana treasurer to get his campaign back on track and easier for Democrats to nationalize the controversy." Politically, it's smarter for Romney to keep calm and carry on.
3. Many Republicans agree with Mourdock
By continuing to endorse Mourdock while criticizing his rape comment, Romney is "trying to walk a delicate line ? courting women voters while rousing a Republican base that is strongly anti-abortion," says Joel Connelly at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. After all, Mourdock's view that abortion should be allowed only when the mother's life is in danger is consistent with the party platform, as well as the view of Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.). "Liberals seemed shocked by Mourdock's statement and his beliefs," says Amy Sullivan at The New Republic. "I was just shocked that anyone was shocked." All GOP politicians who oppose rape exceptions have their justifications, and as Todd Akin proved, Mourdock's is hardly the most scandalous.
SEE MORE: Richard Mourdock's rape comment: Will it hurt Mitt Romney?
4. And Mourdock's opponent essentially agrees with Romney
Republicans wasted no time pointing out that Mourdock's Democratic opponent, Rep. Joe Donnelly (D), also opposes abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and the life of the mother ? in other words, Romney's position, says The Washington Post's Blake. Not only that, but Donnelly was a co-sponsor of a House bill to deny abortion funding for rape and incest victims. As damaging as Mourdock's comment might be among women voters, "Republicans believe they can level the playing field ? at least somewhat ? by pointing to Donnelly's involvement in that controversial bill."
5. Republicans, and Romney, are stuck with Mourdock
One big difference between Romney's calling for Akin to exit the race and sticking with the Hoosier loser is that Romney just "endorsed Mourdock, with a special pitch from Paul Ryan," and reneging on that endorsement so quickly might be one flip-flop too many, says Kaili Joy Gray at Daily Kos. The other difference? Akin stuck his foot in his mouth in August; now, with the election "less than two weeks away, it's too late for the party to pull Mourdock from the race and find a replacement, and the Republicans, including Romney, are stuck with the guy."
SEE MORE: Mitt Romney's latest audio leak: Should employers really tell workers how to vote?
Read more political coverage at The Week's 2012 Election Center.
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Clarksville, TN ? The weekly Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department Recreation Report provides Clarksvillians with a glimpse at the activities and events that are available from the Parks and Recreation Department for them to enjoy together as a family.
Come for a night of fun and frights at the Kleeman Community Center, located at 166 Cunningham Lane. The carnival will take place Friday, October 26th from 6:00pm to 10:00pm.
Since its opening, the Clarksville Downtown Market has been a success- so much so that it was voted the number one market in Tennessee through America?s Farmland Trust, three years in a row! Don?t miss your chance to visit the Clarksville Downtown Market on its last day of the season, Saturday, October 20th.
Children and parents can enjoy interactive story time as the storytellers from L.E.A.P. (Leadership Enlightenment Academic Achievement and Perseverance) bring to life stories from cultures across the Globe. Program is held at the Kleeman Community Center once a month.
The Indoor Aquatic Center will hold an introductory class the 1st Saturday of every month from 1:00pm to 4:00pm, beginning November 3rd, 2012 thru April 6th, 2013. The class is for those individuals who are interested in getting a taste of the scuba experience and an overview of what is involved in Scuba Certification. Class is $25.00 and is open to ages 10 and up.
for more information and to register online.
Now that the new Indoor Aquatic Center has opened, the first session of swim lesson classes are scheduled to begin November 5th. Six comprehensive course levels, Mommy & Me, Pre-school, and Adapative sessions, for those with mental or physical disabilities, are available to teach you, your child or other family members how to swim safely and with skill.
I obtained my degree in Chemistry in 1998 from the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), where I specialised in Organic Chemistry. At the same university I undertook postgraduate studies and obtained a PhD in 2004. Under the supervision of Prof Susana L?pez Est?vez, I developed the total synthesis of several marine natural polyacetylenes with important biological properties. After that, I moved to the field of polymer chemistry and I joined the group of Prof Neil Cameron at the University of Durham (UK) in 2005. As part of the EU training network ?SmashyBio?, we worked on the development of highly porous materials for the reversible immobilisation of biomolecules. In 2006, I returned to the University of Santiago de Compostela to work with Profs Ricardo Riguera and Eduardo Fernandez-Megia, on the development on novel dendrimeric materials for applications at the chemistry-biology interface. Since october 2009, I have been working as a research fellow in the Division of Drug Delivery and Tissue Engineering, working on the development on novel polymeric materials for drug delivery and synthetic biology.
