U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin is again under the microscope for making controversial statements at a campaign stop in Kansas City … this time targeted at President Obama. Congressman Todd Akin tells KMBC at a campaign stop and press conference in Kansas City that President Obama doesn’t like America.
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Akin — a member of the House Armed Services Committee — was responding to protests in the Middle East saying Obama was “apologizing” to hostile countries around the world. “First of all, apologizing to all people, [to] a lot of countries who are enemies, and apologizing to them and everything,” he said in Kansas City. “You know, if we did something wrong, that’s one thing. But he’s just apologizing because he didn’t like America? I think that’s the wrong thing to do.”
Akin went on KMOX in St. Louis and tried to clarify the comment.
AUDIO: Akin goes on KMOX with Charlie Brennen (8:10)
Republican U.S. Senator Blunt agrees with Akin, saying Obama is apologizing for America to hostile foreign countries. Akin is trying to unseat incumbent Senator McCaskill, who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. She says the GOP’s allegations that Obama is apologizing by is just the GOP is playing politics. McCaskill, a democrat, says “I think if you checked in with Osama bin Laden, he would say there was no apology.”
Akin added that right now, the United States should wait and see how the situation in Libya “develops” before deciding how to act.
Akin is earning a reputation for making controversial statements. He said a year ago that “liberals don’t like God” and said last month that legitimate rapes rarely result in pregnancy.
The race between Akin and McCaskill is tight, with polls showing McCaskill leading by about five percentage points.