The Sun Journal of Aug. 22 featured a front-page story about foot-in-mouth politicians; also, a photo of Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., and his wife. He had made a very foolish and irresponsible statement about what he called “legitimate rape.”

Now members of the Democratic party are having a field day with that, and even the Republican party leaders called for Akin to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race.

Just to put this in perspective, let’s recall a couple of other events.

Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts took a young women on a midnight ride; the car went into the water off a bridge. Kennedy abandoned the woman in the car. She drowned but he got elected to the Senate and re-elected.

Then there was Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky — oral sex in the Oval Office. But Clinton held on to his position.

Should Akin be punished for a misstatement?

Harvey Lord, South Paris