(CNN) – Ron Paul became the latest presidential hopeful to weigh in on controversial and incendiary language used by radio commentator Rush Limbaugh to describe a college student, telling reporters Friday the remarks were in poor taste.
"It sounded a little crude the way it came across to me," Paul said. "I don't know why it has to be such a political football like this, so you have to ask him about his crudeness."
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The Texas representative - who spoke after an event in Seattle, Washington – was the latest in a series of both Republicans and Democrats uncomfortable with the comments made by the conservative radio show host, who on Wednesday said a college student who spoke out in favor of insurance coverage for contraception was a "prostitute" and a "slut."
After ignoring a question on the matter earlier in the day, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said Limbaugh's words were "not the language I would have used." Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania told CNN's Wolf Blitzer that Limbaugh was being "absurd." A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said the comments were "inappropriate."
President Barack Obama phoned the student, Sandra Fluke, to express "his support for her and his disappointment in the kind of attacks that have been leveled at her and to her and his appreciation for her willingness to stand tall and express her opinion," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney on Friday.
Democratic members of Congress – including House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, who organized the Capitol Hill event that raised the Georgetown Law student to prominence – released a statement on Wednesday calling the comments "vicious attacks," and on Thursday called on Boehner to "repudiate" Limbaugh.
Paul, who practiced obstetric medicine before and between his terms in Congress, told reporters in Seattle that contraception "would be a decision between doctor and patient." He likened the issue to a homeowner wanting repairs and painting to be covered by his insurance company.
"If you were going to buy house insurance and then somebody comes along and says, 'Oh, OK, what I want is the insurance company to paint my house … So I'm going to dictate to the insurance company that every two years when I need paint they're going to pay for painting my house in order to keep it from falling apart.
"No," Paul continued, "The government shouldn't be in there saying, 'You have to pay out [and] you have to pay for birth control pills."
Fluke told CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash on Friday that the Limbaugh comments "upset" and "outraged" her.
"I felt probably the way many women do when they are called those types of names," Fluke told CNN. "Initially hurt and then very quickly upset and outraged because somebody is trying to silence you."
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The good doctor once again shows a tremendous amount of class. And I agree....government should not be butting their nose into what should be between a dr. and their patient.
Using house painting as an analogy to women's health makes me think these guys are all misogynists or are deathly afraid of the mysoginists in the GOP. Really how do the religious feel about Viagara? Maybe the almighty does not want some men reproducing... This whole scene would be over in the current news cycle if they just said that Rush is wrong. But they won't they're petrified of him.
Jeez – why are they so afraid of that stupid gasbag?
No, Ron, Limbaugh was not just crude – he is, as Franken said, an idiot. This is the same piece of dung who called a fifteen year old girl a dog because she didn't look like a Disney starlet. To paraphrase Brietbart's on ted Kennedy, Rush Limbaugh is a steaming pile of excrement. and for Republican politicians to call him less demonstrates their lack of courage.
Why would Ron Paul rather that Insurance companies paid for prenatal care and delivery instead of birth control? Oh that's right, he's an OB Gyn isn't he.
Totally dissapointing. You used to be an OB/GYN. What made you want to be that? Just so you could do what? With all the understanding of the anatomy of a woman, you should be a bigger voice for women. Typical GnOP bs.
the more the press talks about stupid comments form blow hards like rush and bill maher ... the better they like it..just ignore these wind bags...
I have a uterus and I vote. Soon to be seen on car bumpers.
Here's part of her interview:
Without her taking the medication (contraceptive), a massive cyst the
size of a tennis ball had grown on her ovary. She had to have surgery to remove
her entire ovary. On the morning I was originally scheduled to give this testimony,
she sat in a doctor's office. Since last year's surgery, she's been experiencing night
sweats, weight gain, and other symptoms of early menopause as a result of the
removal of her ovary. She's 32 years old. As she put it: "If my body indeed does
enter early menopause, no fertility specialist in the world will be able to help me
have my own children. I will have no chance at giving my mother her desperately
desired grandbabies, simply because the insurance policy that I paid for totally
unsubsidized by my school wouldn't cover my prescription for birth control when I
needed it." Now, in addition to potentially facing the health complications that
come with having menopause at an early age– increased risk of cancer, heart
disease, and osteoporosis, she may never be able to conceive a child.
Limbaugh is a constant embarrassment to the Republicans. Good for him!
"A little crude." A little? That's akin to being a little pregnant. Lordy, how these male Tea/Republicans play with gender semantics.
Rush's statement, that Ms. Fluke should record her activity and then post it on the internet for him to view shows exactly what kind of rush Mr. Limbaugh hoped to get out of this controversy
Yeah, what Limbaugh said about the 30 YEAR OLD DEMOCRAT OPERATIVE was crude, but no more so than the life these types of libs live, not even close.
It's nice to see that neither the fearless Ron Paul or the bureaucrat John Boehner had the guts to actually go up against the chief of the Republican Party. Anyone who dares to genuinely cross Rush Limbagh would be guilty of sheer sacrelige. No other Republican on the planet even dared make a comment. Well, in a country of free speech, like America, it's good to see that the man who really runs the GOP is a four-time married DJ junkie. A true man of the people. Republicans nationwide must be very proud.
Really? why is it that Ron Paul always gets coverage on bs issues like this?
None of the candidates have come out strongly enough against Rash Limpbag. They were pressured to speak out and the best they could muster is "I wouldn't have put it that way", "it was crude", etc. None have truly denounced the slime bag.
At least one teapublican has a little class.
It's disappointing how weakly the Repulicans are in their rebuke of Limbaugh.
Rust limpbag has no class!!!
Sandra, I am so sorry you are having to put up with this kind of disgusting behavior from the ridiculous nuts in the republican party. You should sue limbaugh for everything hes got. I know he never had a mother or sister. He was hatched in some snake pit. God sure knew what he was doing when he made women because you all are precious and I love you all
Contraception is like "painting a house"? Really? Not quite. I can paint my house myself. I might need a contractor to replace my roof if a hurricane pulls it off. But as long as birth control pills and may other reliable forms of birth control require a PRESCRIPTION by a DOCTOR, I think it needs to be covered by my insurance.
This flaccid field of failed clown car candidates is proving their cowardice every day. Notice how they nibble around the edges with complaints about the manner in which Rush Dumbo defamed Ms. Fluke, rather than condemning the defamation itself. Right now, not a single sorry GOBP candidate has the nuts to stand up and say "his comments were defamatory and unacceptable. Our party does not need support from people like Mr. Limbaugh and I call on all Republicans to condemn his defamatory statements. We await your apology to Ms. Fluke, Mr. Limbaugh."
Back in the days when women " used an aspirin between the knees " as birth control...Limburger would have had to answer for his disrespect....The nearest gentleman would have administered a well deserved thrashing to this villainous scoundrel....there WERE some good aspects of yesteryear that should have been "conserved"...
This wasn't about Fluke, it was her telling about her friend needing the contraception medication to prevent Ovarian Cysts. Guess he just showed his medical ignorance. And the woman DID have a prescription, paid for her own insurance, etc If the republican men had listened to the testimony they wouldn't be so ignorant of the facts.
This Rush Limbaugh is an extremist.
If it walks like a duck
and it look like a duck
then you should call it a duck