Media Matters:

Fox News hosted Karl Rove this morning to discuss Rep. Todd Akin's (R-MO) comments that women have a biological mechanism to prevent them from getting pregnant if they are raped. Neither Rove nor Fox disclosed that Rove's political groups have invested more than $900,000 in Akin's U.S. Senate race.

Akin has come under fire for saying in an interview yesterday that it is "really rare" for women subjected to "legitimate rape" to become pregnant. In an appearance on America's Newsroom, Rove was asked by anchor Martha MacCallum about Akin's comments and a separate Politico story about GOP congressman Kevin Yoder skinny dipping in the Sea of Galilee. MacCallum — who didn't play video of Akin's comments, instead choosing to vaguely describe them — asked Rove whether the two scandals "deserve the attention they're getting."

Rove explained that "the Akin story will be important inside Missouri," but quickly pivoted to discussing the deficit and other economic issues. Rove's attempt to change the subject mirrors Akin's statement about the controversy last night, in which Akin, after claiming he "misspoke," attempted to refocus the story on "very important issues, starting with the economy."

As you can see, Todd Akin is not on the fringe of his party. He is fully supported by its core. The insane comment he made about rape, and he made it lucidly (meaning, he made this comment with the feeling that it's a sensible, understandable, normal thing to say), is not an anomaly, something that fell out of the sky, an error of wording. It is instead consistent with the logic and core of his party.