Many years ago, according to legend, a member of New York's Metropolitan Club was about to be expelled for "open and notorious adultery." The adulterer begged J.P. Morgan, the founder of the club, to reinstate to overturn his expulsion. "I'm just doing openly what all the other members are doing behind closed doors." "That's what closed doors are for," responded Mr. Morgan, who rejected the adulterer's pleas.
Last Sunday, Missouri Republican Senatorial candidate, Todd Akin, was asked whether he would approve abortions for women who were pregnant and had been raped. Akin opened his mouth to reply that;
Well you know, people always want to try to make that as one of those things, well how do you, how do you slice this particularly tough sort of ethical question. First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.
His reply, with the exception of the uniquely stupid "...from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down" is standard Republican gospel. Vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan evades it, the Republican convention is about to include a plank in its platform that leaves the question open and Republicans in South Dakota and Louisiana have passed bills with the same provision. The South Dakota law was later overturned by a popular referendum, and the Louisiana law will only do into effect if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
Republican politicians continue to advocate against abortion in cases of incest or to save a mother's life. For the most part, they do this behind closed legislative doors, and rarely do they do it before open microphones. Mr. Akin's remarks were so outrageous that the Republican leadership is now trying to expel him. If he said, "I only openly said what other Republicans say all the time behind closed doors," Mr. Romney could tell him "That's what "closed doors" are for, or perhaps, that's because of your open and notorious stupidity."
Hypocrisy, thy name is Politics.