And We Can Prove It

“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.” These are the words of Todd Akin’s controversial statement proclaiming a rape victim’s ability to will away pregnancy. He has apologized saying that he spoke the wrong words in the wrong way. Balderdash! He said the wrong thing. I’m quite certain he’ll drop out of the race. People like him generally have a price for their service, and his service is in great demand now from people who can afford it. The longer he hangs on the higher the price until the point of diminishing returns which apparently hasn’t been reached.

Technically he has some wiggle room. “It seems to me from what I understand from doctors” is hardly “telling it like it is.” But even if he hadn’t heard from the first doctor, I’m certain that Republicans would produce some who would back him all the way if it were in the party’s interest. This would be bad policy for them now: perhaps in a few years.

For whatever controversial subject Republicans advocate they can produce “experts” to validate their point. A skimpy minority, but who’s counting? This year’s weather has produced extremes unprecedented in the history of official weather reporting and unofficial narrative. The fact that carbon emissions are higher than ever is just another of their famous coincidences for which they have climatologists to “prove.”  I strongly suspect that institutions of “higher learning,” bearing the name of well known televangelists are prominent in the resumes of the authorities cited.

When it comes to the all important economy Republicans have outdone themselves. Extant reputed authorities on this subject are being avoided. Living economists are a fickle lot. Look what happened with David Stockman who was chosen by Ronald Reagan to make the case for supply side economics. Deceased economists’ judgments often become vulnerable to subsequent history.

So who better than the latest proclaimed voice of authority in all that is Republican economic theory than a deceased novelist? He, she in this case, can’t change her mind and what she has written can’t be factually challenged because novelists are by definition writers of fiction, which brings us to the point of this letter, Republican logic in general and Todd Akin’s specifically.