Romney calls on congressman to quit election race over ‘legitimate rape’ comments

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney has called on fellow Republican Todd Akin to abandon his US Senate bid in Missouri after the congressman's comments about rape.

Akin has sparked uproar by claiming women's bodies could prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape".

Akin, however, vowed to stay in the contest, indicating he represents a conservative movement that must be heard.

He is defying intense pressure from his own party to leave the race, accusing people of over-reacting.

Correspondents say Republicans fear the backlash could sink their bid to win control of the US Senate in November.

Asked in an interview Sunday on a local television station, KTVI, if he would support abortions for women who have been raped, Akin said: "It seems to me, first of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. 

"If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

Romney said on Monday Akin's remarks were "offensive and wrong", but he had stopped short of urging him to drop out at that point.

But on Tuesday, Romney said: "Today, his fellow Missourians urged him to step aside, and I think he should accept their counsel and exit the Senate race."

Last week Akin had a comfortable lead in opinion polls over incumbent Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill in the Midwestern state of Missouri, which has leaned increasingly conservative in recent years.

But even as top conservatives were lambasting the congressman, the Republican Party was reportedly ratifying a call for a constitutional ban on abortion, without any exception for rape or incest.

The position was to be the subject of a vote at the Republican national convention in Tampa, Florida, next week.

In a new campaign advertisement released early on Tuesday, Akin said: "Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way, and for that I apologise."

But the US Senate's top Republican, Mitch McConnell, said the apology was insufficient.

He said Akin had "made a deeply offensive error at a time when his candidacy carries great consequence for the future of our country".

The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has reportedly told Akin that $5m in advertising set aside for Missouri would now be spent elsewhere.