Missouri Congressman Todd Akin, a conservative Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, is backing away from his remarks now but he was serious during a St. Louis television interview that women could prevent pregnancy during rape.

The conversation was about whether he'd support abortion if the pregnancy resulted from rape.

"It seems to me first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare," Akin, a six-term congressman, said. "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

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Akin is running against incumbent Democrat Sen. Claire McCaskill. He just made the choice for voters crystal clear. Which way we'll find out.