Washington: A Republican Senate candidate from Washington, Michael Baumgartner, told a reporter to ‘go f**k yourself’ after he asked Baumgartner to clarify his position on abortion.
Earlier this week, Baumgartner joined many Republicans in condemning Republican Todd Akin for his controversial remarks about ‘legitimate rape’.
According to Politico, but when Seattle Met magazine reporter Josh Feit asked him how his position was different than Akin’s, Baumgartner ducked and did not clarify.
“I have empathy for the victims of rape. Rape is a tragedy. It’s a terrible thing. Certainly, we need to give victims all the help we can. There is no place in politics for uttering something so ignorant about pregnancy and rape,” the report quoted Baumgartner, as saying to Feit.
”I am still a Catholic. I still believe life begins at conception. That is consistent with my Catholic beliefs. And I believe we must protect life,” Baumgartner said, adding: “Whenever abortion comes up, we get questioned about the exceptions, but no one ever questions the extreme positions on the other side, late-term abortions, no on parental notification.”
According to the report, Feit merely published the response, only lightly suggesting that Baumgartner had not clarified. He also noted that Baumgartner has sought to focus his campaign on jobs and ending the war in Afghanistan. But later, Feit received an e-mail from Baumgartner’s personal account, along with a photo of his holding heavy weaponry alongside a Navy SEAL who, Baumgartner said, was killed in Afghanistan.
“Josh, this is Pat Feeks, a Navy SEAL killed last week in Afghanistan. Take a good look and then go f**k yourself,” the e-mail read. According to the report, Baumgartner acknowledged that he had sent the e-mail in a subsequent statement to Feit, but later took it back, saying Feit ‘had it coming’.
Baumgarten has also argued that his e-mail to Feit was private, the report said.
ANI
