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Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 3:15 AM UTC

Obama criticizes GOP candidate’s rape remarks

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Obama criticizes GOP candidate's rape remarksPresident Barack Obama talks with Jay Leno, right, during a commercial break during the taping of his appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Burbank, Calif. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) (Credit: AP)

BURBANK, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday night criticized Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock for his remarks about rape and pregnancy, saying that “rape is rape” and that the Republican’s comments “don’t make any sense to me.”

Mourdock said during a debate Tuesday night that when pregnancy occurs from rape, then it is “something God intended.” The Indiana Republican opposes abortion except when the woman’s life is in danger.

Obama was appearing on “The Tonight Show” when host Jay Leno asked him about Mourdock’s remarks and referred to another Republican Senate hopeful, Missouri’s Todd Akin. Earlier in his campaign Akin, also an opponent of abortion, referred to “legitimate rape” when contending that women’s bodies are capable of preventing pregnancy after rape.

“Well, I don’t know how these guys come up with these ideas,” Obama said. “Let me make a very simple proposition. Rape is rape. It is a crime. And so these various distinctions about rape don’t make too much sense to me — don’t make any sense to me.”

Obama added: “This is exactly why you don’t want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women’s health care decisions. Women are capable of making these decisions in consultation with their partners, with their doctors. And for politicians to want to intrude in this stuff, oftentimes without any information, is a huge problem. And this is obviously part of what’s stake at this election.”

Earlier Wednesday, Mourdock refused to apologize for the “something God intended” remark but said that he regrets that some may have misconstrued and “twisted” his comments.

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