Romney Surrogate Promotes Todd Akin's Weird Ideas About Rape, Female Physiology

"Legitimate rape."

"Forcible rape" - - the distinction Paul Ryan and his anti-abortion buddy Todd Akin tried to write into federal health care funding legislation.

And those amazing female powers Maureen Down discovered in the odd-ball right's science comic books that can wish away a pregnancy.

Where do these leading conservatives get such ideas?

Mitt Romney was a devotee during his 2007 presidential campaign of one Dr. John Willke, a leading right-to-live physician who has promoted weird ideas about female physiology and rape that were channeled the other day by Republican Senate candidate Todd Akin.

Reports The Atlantic online:

Hailing him as "The Father Of The Pro-Life Movement" and "an important surrogate for Governor Romney's pro-life and pro-family agenda," the Romney for President campaign in 2007 welcomed Willke's endorsement.

"I am proud to have the support of a man who has meant so much to the pro-life movement in our country," Romney said in a statement at the time. "He knows how important it is to have someone in Washington who will actively promote pro-life policies. Policies that include more than appointing judges who will follow the law but also opposing taxpayer funded abortion and partial birth abortion. I look forward to working with Dr. Willke and welcome him to Romney for President."

Willke was equally effusive. "Governor Romney is the only candidate who can lead our pro-life and pro-family conservative movement to victory in 2008," he said in the statement.

And in the wake of Akin's controversial remarks - - including that women who are raped don't get pregnant - - Willke reprised his beliefs in The New York Times:

“This is a traumatic thing — she’s, shall we say, she’s uptight,” Dr. Willke said of a woman being raped, adding, “She is frightened, tight, and so on. And sperm, if deposited in her vagina, are less likely to be able to fertilize. The tubes are spastic.” 

Leading experts on reproductive health, however, dismissed this logic. 

“There are no words for this — it is just nuts,” said Dr. Michael Greene, a professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School.

All of which is doing legitimate damage to Romney's campaign, and the reputation of Paul Ryan, Romney's Robin, and Akin's close political and philosophical ally.