You see, Akin said something that he has since said he DOES NOT hold to be truth. Even going as far as to put out a video which is being circulated in which he denounces his statement and attempts to tell everyone what he really means. You may be asking, "Where is he going with this," well just give me a second.
I believe every person can honestly say that they have said things in the past that either they did not mean when they said them, or they have changed their way of thinking and no longer agree with. People change, and hopefully it is always for the better. That being said let's think not only about what we have said that was wrong, but what we have done! Todd Akin retracted his statement for one of two reasons, either 1) he is legitimately (no pun intended) sorry for his mistaken words or 2) he is attempting to save face to continue in the Senate race.
Which is the reason we have changed our statements or actions? Paul wrote a passage of Scripture to a people who had been mistaken in their walks with God (cf. 1 Cor. 1:10ff, 5:1-8, 6:1-11, 8:1-13, 12:1-14:40, etc.) but had obviously changed their actions and statements for the better, in so much that they were genuinely sorry for such and had "repented" of those ungodly things (2 Cor. 7:9-10). I hope that all of us can say that! Every person, Christian or non-Christian, has done things in their life worth godly sorrow and repentance. Just look at the Jews gathered on the day of Pentecost, they had openly murdered the Son of God (Acts 2:36) and when they realized it they asked the greatest question ever asked, "What can we do?" What did Peter say? I know he DIDN'T say, "There's nothing you can do, go about your lives." What he did say should strike the hearts of every person on earth just as it did those people! - "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins... (Acts 2:38)"
Have I done this? Have you done this? If you aren't a Christian then you have not and are in need of the saving grace of Jesus Christ through repentance, confession, and baptism, but what about the person that has become a Christian and strayed away like those in Corinth? John would write to that kind of people that after a person becomes a Christian and he falls from the Grace of God (cf. Gal. 5:4) then he must confess his sins to the God of Heaven and be truly penitent of those sins and then and only then will God cleanse us from the stain that we have put on our soul (1 John 1:9).
So, as Todd Akin goes about attempting to apologize and gain the trust of the Republican party again just remember, he messed up and is having to go back and repent, in a sense, of what he said. And whether or not he is doing it for the right reason is another discussion, but if we repent to our Father in Heaven for the right reason we know He will wash us. Everyone makes mistakes but it takes a real man or woman to repent of those mistakes and turn to God.