At a small gathering at a coffeehouse on Sunday, Women for Claire convened to unveil a new ad in support of Democratic incumbent Senator Claire McCaskill. McCaskill was not in attendance, instead spending time with her ill mother.
A few women spoke in her stead, criticizing Republican Congressman Todd Akin.
"What is he (Akin) going to do for a woman like you?" Darlene Green, St. Louis Comptroller asked the crowd. "What is he going to say about a woman like me? We already know what he said about a woman like Claire."
Green condemned Akin's comments referring to McCaskill as a "dog" that fetches taxes and regulations from D.C. and brings them back to Missouri. Although this statement was brought up, much of the discussion was devoted to Akin's comments regarding "legitimate rape," and his stance on abortion and emergency contraception.
Akin has apologized for his statement, which he has called a distraction from the issues. But Akin stands by his stance, which is to ban abortion and emergency contraception, even in instances of rape and incest.
Joanie Stewart appeared in a prior McCaskill ad in which she discusses her violent sexual assault. She spoke at the event on Sunday.
"Todd Akin has not walked in our shoes. I don't begrudge him as a man," Stewart said. "From a woman's point of view, if you're going to comment on something, you better understand."
Stewart became briefly emotional when discussing her violent sexual assault that took place in 1991.
"That's 4 hours of my life I will never get back. It's 4 hours of my life I will never forget," Stewart said, tearing up. "Do you think for one second, that if that happened to one of my daughters, that I wouldn't be the first one screaming at the hospital, saying 'You better give my daughter a choice.' I didn't get one."
In the new ad, a woman calls Akin “scary," and another woman says she’s afraid of what he’ll do in Congress.
http://youtu.be/Ag0iHDkXNrg
But at a press conference on Monday, Akin says it’s not his views that are scary.
"Where is Missouri? You have a pretty good picture of it on Obamacare. 71% of us said we don’t want it. Claire McCaskill voted for it. To me, that’s scary,” Akin said. "Take a look at the 2nd Amendment. I support the 2nd Amendment, she doesn't. To me, the huge government votes that Claire McCaskill takes are the things that are scary."
Akin has been holding events of his own in an attempt to salvage his image with female voters. After his comments in August, the Akin campaign started holding gatherings for "Missouri Women Standing with Todd Akin."
The group has held a few events and released a few videos in defense of the embattled Congressman and attract a considerable crowd from conservative Christian women in the St. Louis area. Oftentimes, the events exhibit female speakers praising Akin's pro-life record.
Follow Chris McDaniel on Twitter: @csmcdaniel
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