Pro-life doctor John Willke, linked to Akin’s ‘forcible rape’ claims, endorsed Romney in 2007Romney's 2007 campaign embraced Willke as “an important surrogate for Governor Romney's pro-life and pro-family agenda.”During his 2008 presidential campaign, Mitt Romney welcomed the endorsement of a pro-life doctor linked to Rep. Todd Akin’s widely condemned statement that “legitimate rape” rarely leads to pregnancy.Dr. John C. Willke is a leading proponent of the view that women are unlikely to become pregnant by “forcible rape,” a theory he laid out in a 1999 article on the subject.
Akin, a Missouri Republican now running for the U.S. Senate, echoed that theory during an interview with KTVI-TV in St. Louis on Sunday, citing unnamed doctors to claim, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”
After his comments sparked an uproar, Akin quickly said he “misspoke.”
Willke, meanwhile, defended his opinion in interviews on Monday, including one with The New York Times.
“This is a traumatic thing — she’s, shall we say, she’s uptight,” Willke told the Times. “She is frightened, tight, and so on. And sperm, if deposited in her vagina, are less likely to be able to fertilize. The tubes are spastic.”
Amid a growing outcry for Akin to drop out of the Senate race, the Romney campaign joined those criticizing his comment.
Sunday evening, Romney campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg issued a statement saying, “Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin's statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape.”
In 2007, however, Romney’s campaign had embraced Willke – who served as president of the National Right to Life Committee for a decade. In a statement announcing Willke’s endorsement, his campaign said the doctor would be “an important surrogate for Governor Romney's pro-life and pro-family agenda.”
"I am proud to have the support of a man who has meant so much to the pro-life movement in our country,” Romney said in a statement. “He knows how important it is to have someone in Washington who will actively promote pro-life policies."Willke also touted Romney’s commitment to anti-abortion issues.
"Unlike other candidates who only speak to the importance of confronting the major social issues of the day, Governor Romney has a record of action in defending life,” Willke said at the time.
The Romney campaign did not immediately respond to questions about the 2007 endorsement and whether Willke had discussed his theory about rape and pregnancy with the candidate.
Akin, meanwhile, continued his damage-control efforts with a television ad asking for voters’ “forgiveness.”
In the ad, which was obtained by Politico, Akin apologizes for using “the wrong words in the wrong way.”
“The fact is, rape can lead to pregnancy; the truth is, rape has many victims,” he says.
Akin is under pressure by a growing list of Republicans to drop his badly wounded Senate bid before a 5 p.m. withdrawal deadline on Tuesday. His opponent Claire McCaskill, on the other hand, has suggested Akin should stay in the race - presumably hoping to face a weakened rival in November.
NBC News reported that Paul Ryan called Akin on Monday, although the Romney campaign did not confirm the conversation and it was unclear if Ryan asked him to drop out.
Ryan has previously co-sponsored anti-abortion legislation with Akin.
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