GUEST COMMENTARY: Akin apologized for his wording, not for his message

We have all seen the paid advertisements featuring Todd Akin’s apology for his statements about rape and reproduction. I am concerned that the true importance of Todd Akin’s now infamous statement: “First of all, from what I understand from doctors [pregnancy from rape] is really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down,” has been lost in the flurry of spin doctors who rushed in to interpret it for political purposes. Yes, Congressman Akin apologized, but primarily for his wording, not for the ideas behind it. His wording was neither accidental nor isolated. Until he admits that, then there is no real apology.