U.S. Rep. Todd Akin walked quietly off the public stage after being defeated by incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill on election night 2012 without blaming anyone, without casting aspersions, without excuses for his loss.
Meanwhile, the same Republican political establishment that lost every other Senate race that year continued to pile on Akin, claiming his candidacy was responsible for the electoral disaster they oversaw while running away from the six-term Missouri member of Congress. They are still blaming Akin today.
But others have been coming to his defense – from Gov. Mike Huckabee to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, from Lt. Col. Oliver North to Dr. James Dobson – and now, finally, Akin is back with a stunning, tell-all book!
And today only, WND readers can get a hardcover copy of Akin's "Firing Back: Taking on the Party Bosses and Media Elite to Protect Our Faith and Freedom," for only $4.95 – a huge $21 discount off the regular $25.95 price!
As Huckabee, the Fox News Channel host and rising star of the Republican Party, wrote in the foreword to "Firing Back": "Todd didn't ask for a war with the party establishment, but he sure did get one. No one in American politics knows better than I do the immediate bias and attacks that come from liberals and the media establishment when Christians with sincere convictions make a move into the political arena. We've got to deal with their attacks and have even come to expect them. More shocking are the attacks on social conservatives from party bosses, partisan power brokers and the entrenched GOP establishment. I'm deeply offended by this infighting within the Republican Party, because it is so destructive to the country we care so deeply about."
Huckabee says the party establishment never liked Akin in the first place. He wasn't their choice to run against McCaskill. When he beat their choice in the primary, the bosses weren't happy. In their eyes, he was already a loser – a lost cause. He adds that Akin never said anything negative about his Republican opponents – running only on his own ideas and record.
"I expected Democrats to pounce on Todd," Huckabee says regarding the infamous "legitimate rape" interview on a local TV show. "But I was disheartened and outraged when Republicans circled the wagons – not to support Todd and help him overcome an obstacle but instead as a firing squad pointed at the congressman."
Some say it was worse that a circular firing squad. Karl Rove not only pulled his funding for Akin's campaign and publicly denounced him, he added in a closed-door meeting of GOP donors: "We should sink Todd Akin. If he's found mysteriously murdered, don't look for my whereabouts."
"There is something terribly ironic when the winning candidate in a primary who refused to say anything negative about his Republican opponents is attacked by one Republican after another," adds Huckabee. They sharpened their knives and got in line to repeatedly stab him in the back. Now, after the race, they are still saying, 'See, conservatives can't get elected!'"
Likewise, Oliver North defends Akin, saying: "I admire Todd's stand for the sanctity of life. His steadfast resolve against an onslaught of media bullies and party bosses is the stuff of legend."
And WND's Joseph Farah, who agreed to publish Akin's "Firing Back," said: "I could never quite figure out what Todd Akin said that was so offensive to the supposedly pro-life Republicans who attacked him viciously. Had they actually watched the interview? It represents in its entirety one of the best articulations of the life ethic. There's simply nothing in there that is factually wrong or offensive – unless you are looking to be offended by something. I have watched that interview over and over again in context. Even the interviewer clearly didn't see anything in Akin's words to indicate a 'gotcha.' He quickly moved on to a different subject without missing a beat. This wasn't even a minor gaffe. He was technically and scientifically accurate in what he said. This was an example of a media and political lynching."
See Akin's "legitimate rape" comments in context:
Is Akin right that pregnancy seldom results from rape?
There's not much doubt about it. The studies pointing to the highest incidence suggest no more than 5 percent of rape victims become pregnant as a result of the attack. Many others suggest much lower numbers.
Why did Akin write "Firing Back"? Akin says what he wants is what he has always wanted – what drove him to run for Congress successfully in the first place: "Everywhere, freedom's enemies are busy twisting word meanings and attempting to force their opinions on others through what is known as 'political correctness.' We should resist this tactic by defending the truth and each other, especially those on our own team. We need to defend truth especially in those areas where liberals are attacking."
He adds: "Before you forsake the crisp air and bright light on the high road of freedom, look well at the velvet-padded chains of government dependency. Although the government chains are well padded, they are chains nonetheless. They threaten to hold America's soul in the gloom, where vision is lost, where monotony and cynicism rule, and where the fresh air and bright sunlight of freedom are only a memory."
For Akin, government doesn't have all the answers. But he truly believes there are answers to be found – or, perhaps, rediscovered.
"True freedom builds from the bottom up, and it starts with our 'selves,'" he writes in "Firing Back." "In early America, when people heard the word government, they would first think of how each of us, led by God's Spirit, manages his or her own life. They called it 'self-government.' They understood that the character of a citizen was critical to the nature of the country. A nation peopled by wise, hardworking, loving citizens would be altogether different from a nation of dishonest, self-seeking rogues."
But to be a self-governing people, there must be consensus on what is right and wrong, Akin suggests.
"Perhaps one of the greatest opportunities to return to good ideas and refute bad ideas is through the church," he writes. "Churches exist in part to warn people of the bad consequences of bad ideas and teach obedience to God's laws. The source of the Founders' good ideas was the Bible. They saw the beautiful harmony between God's Word and the natural world around them. Today, for all the good work our pastors do, many make the mistake of not applying the Bible to the critical issues of our day. This is probably one of the most urgently needed changes in America."
Watch Todd Akin's interview with radio talker Steve Malzberg:
Save $21, get 'Firing Back' for only $4.95!
That's right. Your eyes are not deceiving you. Right now, you can save a huge $21 off the cover price of Todd Akin's "Firing Back."
Until tonight at 10 p.m. Pacific, you can get your copy for only $4.95 by taking advantage of this special offer, exclusively from WND.
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