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U.S. Senate candidate under wraps after rape remarks

<p>ORLIN WAGNER / ASSOCIATED PRESS</p><p>Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri, waves to the crowd while introduced at a senate candidate forum during a Republican conference in Kansas City, Mo. Akin, Missouris GOP Senate candidate, has questioned whether women can become pregnant when theyre raped.</p>

ORLIN WAGNER / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, R-Missouri, waves to the crowd while introduced at a senate candidate forum during a Republican conference in Kansas City, Mo. Akin, Missouris GOP Senate candidate, has questioned whether women can become pregnant when theyre raped.

ST. LOUIS — Missouri Congressman Todd Akin is keeping a low profile a day after a television interview in which he said that women’s bodies can prevent pregnancies in “a legitimate rape” and that conception is rare in such cases.

The six-term congressman is the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate. Asked in an interview Sunday on KTVI-TV if he would support abortions for women who have been raped, Akin said a woman “has ways” to prevent pregnancy during what he called a “legitimate rape.”

Later Sunday, Akin released a statement saying that he “misspoke” during the interview.

Akin campaign spokesman Ryan Hite says Akin has no public appearances planned for Monday. He was scheduled to speak on KMOX Radio to talk show host Charlie Brennan Monday morning but canceled that appearance.