Topic: Todd Akin

PBS journalist Gwen Ifill is criticized for a report on Missouri politician Todd Akin and his controversial comments on "legitimate rape." The hosts argue that Ifill failed to mention that Senator Claire McCaskill, Akin's opponent, was strategically encouraging Akin to stay in the race because he was an easier candidate to defeat. This omission is cited as evidence of bias in public broadcasting.

Missouri Representative Todd Akin sparked national outrage by claiming that "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy because the female body has ways to "shut that whole thing down." The discussion examines the linguistic shift of the word rape in political discourse and its connection to the Romney-Ryan campaign's stance on abortion. The term is increasingly framed within the context of women's healthcare decisions.

A PBS NewsHour report by Gwen Ifill regarding Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments is criticized for failing to mention that Senator Claire McCaskill is Akin's direct political opponent. Critics argue that McCaskill's encouragement of Akin's candidacy was a strategic move that the report ignored. The segment is cited as an example of subtle media bias in taxpayer-funded broadcasting.