Ben Stein Comments on Todd Akin and the Abortion Debate

From Ben Stein's column in The American Specator:

By the way, I am fascinated by this whole drama about Todd Akin and his strange comments about rape and abortion.  There is no doubt he said something extremely mistaken and offensive.  But there is also no doubt that he's standing tall against abortion when even his own party has turned on him.  Is there a braver candidate out there right now?  What are the merits and demerits of making a stupid comment on a TV show as compared with killing a baby because you don't like her sex or you want to move on with your career?

Somehow, in this brouhaha about Mr. Akin, the fundamentals of the issue have been lost.

Is it a good idea to have unlimited abortion?  Do unborn babies have no rights?  If not, why not?  The pro-abortion people have done a genius job of framing this debate in exactly the wrong way.  They always do that.  It's really about the taking of innocent life and not about miscues on a TV show.  [Emphasis mine.]

I live in Wisconsin, not Missouri, and I am not making a comment on the merits of Todd Akin's candidacy. But Ben Stein is right about losing sight of the fundamental issue.