A Texas lawmaker is apologizing for saying rape "is nonexistent in marriage, take what you want" on an Internet message board before launching his political career.
Republican Rep. Jonathan Stickland said Wednesday those comments don't reflect his views. The 32-year-old husband says he regrets "stupid stuff" from when he was younger and asked for forgiveness.
Stickland posted the comment in a fantasy football forum in 2008. He was elected four years later behind support from tea party activists and quickly built a reputation as a conservative antagonist in the Texas Legislature.
Internet posts from Stickland's past have started surfacing as he campaigns for re-election against a pastor endorsed by former Gov. Rick Perry.
The marital rape post was first reported by the Quorum Report.
