Even as some cringe, Rep. Steve King's support may endure

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Rep. Steve King's most recent insensitive remarks about rape are the kind that have doomed political candidates elsewhere, but some fellow Iowa Republicans say it's possible they actually could do more good than harm for the embattled congressman's re-election chances by reinforcing his credentials as a social conservative.

King, who faces steep competition just to win the GOP primary in his bid for a 10th term, made the comment Tuesday before a conservative group. He was attempting to justify his support for a ban on abortions without exceptions for rape and incest.

"What if we went back through all the family trees and just pulled those people out that were products of rape and incest? Would there be any population of the world left if we did that?" King said. "Considering all the wars and all the rape and pillage that's taken place ... I know I can't certify that I'm not a part of a product of that."

The assertion was reminiscent of Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comment in 2012 and Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's statement months later that a pregnancy due to rape was "something God intended."

While Akin and Mourdock struggled to move beyond those comments and lost races they'd been favored to win, it's unclear whether King will pay a price considering many in his conservative district support his position on abortion, even as they might cringe at how he worded it.

King also could benefit from the simple fact that since he was first elected in 2002, he has made so many comments prompting outrage on topics ranging from immigration to race that one more controversial statement may not carry as much weight.

Tuesday's justification of an abortion ban came about eight months after King was rebuked by the House and stripped of his committee assignments...