GOP Official: Women Who Get Pregnant Through Rape Are 'Blessed'

One-ups Akin

An official from Missouri's Republican Party on Monday defended Senate candidate Todd Akin after he suggested abortions should not be allowed in any case because victims of "legitimate" rape victims could not get pregnant.

GOP 4th Senate District Committeewoman Sharon Barnes told The New York Times "that abortion is never an option."

In an interview with KTVI-TV over the weekend, Akin had said that "the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down," referring to pregnancy after so-called "legitimate rape."