Photo Gallery The GOP Goes Retro
Mitt Romney would like to avoid the abortion question. But a recent gaffe by Representative Todd Akin has thrust the issue into the center of the debate this week. And revealed a party which has become radically conservative on social issues.
Akin said that in cases of "legitimate rape," pregnancy rarely occurs. "The female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," he said. He has since apologized, but his comments have caused problems for the campaign of Mitt Romney.
The Republican National Convention is this weekend. During the event, the GOP will adopt one of its most conservative platforms ever.
In addition to its radical pro-life stance, the Republicans would like to enshrine a ban on gay marriage in the Constitution and further relax gun controls, among other provisions.
Mitt Romney has sought to distance himself from both Akin and his party's platform. But his vice presidential candidate is a staunch social conservative as well.
Paul Ryan, chosen by Romney recently to be his running mate, co-sponsored a strict anti-abortion bill with Todd Akin in 2011. The bill contained controversial language referring to "forcible abortion," which led many to believe it was an attempt to imply that statutory rape and date rape aren't really rape.
Ryan and Romney on the campaign trail. Romney was forced this week into the uncomfortable position of distancing himself from his party's platform.
