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Piers Morgan and Todd Akin's empty chair

Missouri Representative Todd Akin scheduled an interview with Piers Morgan Monday night after inciting a flame war over comments about "legitimate rape." Then, he decided not to show up.
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Published: Aug. 21, 2012 at 10:04 AM
By GABRIELLE LEVY, UPI.com

Piers Morgan, host of Piers Morgan Tonight on CNN, doesn't like to be stood up.

So when embattled Senate candidate Todd Akin refused to sit down for an interview Monday night--even though he'd just scheduled the appearance earlier in the day--Morgan was incensed and not a little incredulous.

Staring down a shot of an empty chair, meant for Akin's exclusive interview, Morgan took the Representative to task.

[Todd Akin] is, of course, the only man in America anyone is talking about tonight... It's been a funny old day. We had his opponent, Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill booked earlier, then she cancelled. And then we booked Congressman Akin to tell his story himself. We kept our word. I'm here. But Rex Elsass, who's a political consultant to Rep. Todd Akin...pulled the interview, having agreed it on [Akin's] behalf, at the last possible moment, leaving us and you looking at an empty chair. It's a very nice empty chair, but it remains an empty chair. Why he would say yes, then no, we can only speculate. But we can tell you this: Todd Akin has until [Tuesday], at 6 p.m. eastern to say whether he's staying in the race or bowing out and then the GOP can replace him on the ballot. Congressman, you have an open invitation to join me, in that chair, whenever you feel up to it. Because if you don't keep your promise to appear on the show, then you are, what we would call in Britain, a gutless little twerp.

It did not take long for Twitter to take advantage of Akin's stunt, sparking a parody account of the representative.










Akin, of course, is the man who sent shockwaves through the election Sunday when he made comments on a Missouri TV show implying that women's bodies can reject pregnancy from resulting in "legitimate rape."

From what I understand from doctors, (pregnancy) is really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.

Despite calls from Republicans for Akin to drop out, and Karl Rove's PAC Crossroads GPS pulling all funding from the race, Akin has sworn to stay on. His Democratic opponent, incumbent Claire McCaskill is more than happy to keep him in the race.

But perhaps Piers is just a little sensitive to rejection, seeing as it has happened once before. You remember Christine O'Donnell, Senate candidate in 2010 from Delaware? Tea Party darling?

I am not a witch.

Ah, that.

O'Donnell famously walked off Morgan's show when she found his line of questioning not to her liking.

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