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Blogs FeedElection Watch Weekly: Akin in Trouble
23 August 2012
(Larry Wright / Politicalcartoons.com)
News
Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin created a huge controversy with his comment that women almost never get pregnant through "legitimate rape" as the body "has ways of trying to shut the whole thing down." Akin was a favourite to unseat Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill but he'll almost certainly be the underdog if he stays in the race.
Republicans were pressuring Akin to withdraw but so far he's refused to drop out. He could still step down before 25 September but would have to pay for the cost of new ballots.
Romney is doing well in some recent swing state polls.
The campaigns are doing battle over Medicare.
Joe Biden told a crowd of supporters in Virginia that Mitt Romney wants to let Wall Street "putt you all back in chains."
Around the Web
Matthew Yglesias explains why Australia's been so successful despite its "never-ending trade deficit," and ponders what lessons the US should draw.
"Now the United States is no Australia. We're a lot bigger and we're not growing our population as rapidly. But we're closer to Australia than to being Germany or Japan. Which means I think we can get away with open-ended current account deficits if we want to, and that appropriate policy would get us full employment without closing the trade deficit."
Peter Orszag warns that the "competition fairy can't cut Medicare costs."
Doyle McManus says political gridlock won't end after the election.
I argue that people are overstating the importance of the Paul Ryan pick.
Election Watch talks to Lowy's Sam Roggeveen about why the US elections matter.
The Crystal Ball updated its Senate ratings and list of swing states.
Paul Ryan calls Rage Against the Machine his favourite band but Tom Morello isn't exactly flattered.
Looking Ahead
The US Studies Centre is going to be showing Romney and Obama's convention speeches live. Make sure you're registered.
Trivia: Who was the only US president for whom English was not his first language?
Fun Fact: George H.W. Bush was the first president to formally pardon a turkey on Thanksgiving.
Answer to Last Week's Trivia: Calvin Coolidge
Have your say
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