Initially silent, Romney addresses Limbaugh ‘slut’ remarks
Cleveland, Ohio (CNN) - Mitt Romney steered clear of the Rush Limbaugh controversy until Friday evening, even avoiding a CNN reporter earlier in the day, when he addressed the issue after an event in Cleveland.
“I'll just say this which is it’s not the language I would have used," Romney said. "I’m focusing on the issues I think are significant in the country today and that’s why I’m here talking about jobs and Ohio.”
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After an event in Bellevue, Washington, CNN asked Romney for a comment on Limbaugh who called Georgetown Law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" after she testified before Congress on the importance of insurance coverage of contraception.
The former Massachusetts governor was within a few feet of CNN's camera when he was asked the question. But Romney walked by without comment.
Limbaugh ignited a political firestorm Wednesday when he suggested Fluke's support of contraception coverage was an attempt to force Americans to pay for her sexual activities.
"It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex," Limbaugh said.
Romney's main rival for the GOP nomination, Rick Santorum called Limbaugh's comments "absurd" in an interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer.
– CNN Political Producer Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.
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Truth – do you really think that adding the republican share of the national debt, $12 trillion, to Obama's share of the debt is being truth like? You would not know the truth if it bit your behind.
What would one expect from Romney but to suck up to the conservative wack jobs! He is such a flip floppin wuss.
Mitt is a coward and he would do anything to get the nomination.
Show me one man who will standup to Limbaugh, at least do it for your wives, mothers and daughters. Standup for American women just like we standup for Israel.
If he can't stand up and defend women now what will he do if he got to be President of this country.......women will not have a voice as long as Republicans are in office.
it's funny how the same guys who are complaining about obama not standing up to iran, don't have the cajones to stand up to tub-of-lard rush limbaugh. i can just see some coward like romney or santorum in the white house. at least obama had the courage to stand up to bin laden and ghadafi. i never met a republican who would.
Consider the source. That's like Adolf Hitler saying Jews should be executed...and then we get all shocked. It's Limbaugh. You know in Proverbs 23:2 in the Bible it says "put a knife to you throat if you are given unto gluttony". Didn't Rush claim he was a Christian....well? Have fun Rush. May I suggest a knives of the Henckle variety?
Just another example that proves Romney is incapable of leading! Mitts, you just are making this too easy. I guess like the man you are, you will get your baby popping wife to race to your defense!
Romney did not answer the question because he does not want to flip-flop and afraid of saying the words that conservatives will disagree furthermore causing him to lose votes. Romney will do anything just to get a vote.
Shame on you Mitt! You can't be a good Christian and not same something about this! It's time Rush finally gets put in his place. By everyone!
Romney canot say anything because his firm, Bain Capital owns Clear Channel, which owns the radio stations that carry Limbaugh's show. Like Yogi Berra said, "You could look it up."
romney taking this stuff seriously is going to hurt him in the general election. he should have walked a line and said he supports religious organizations but that the blount ammendment was far too general and creates a huge loophole any employer could use.
CNN should be ashamed of themselves.
Google the TRUE NUMBER OF BOUND DELEGATES and you will see RON PAUL IS GONNA BE IN SECOND PLACE when they are awarded.
CNN is BIASED, RUDE, and would rather cover ROMNEY NOT SAYING ANYTHING (LMAO whatta joke) THAN MAJOR EVENTS TAKING PLACE when RON PAUL'S NAME IS INVOLVED.
and the NATION unfortunately is full of couch potatoes that don't do their own research and BELIEVE everything they hear.Haters gonna hate
RON PAUL 2012 or more of the same STUPIDITY
your tall dark handsome POTUS can't save you this time. He's going down. TRUTH HURTS
His silence speaks volumes.
Livid doesn't even come close to how I feel about a bunch of old, white MEN trying to trample on my reproductive RIGHTS!!!!! If women keep their mouths shut on this one, the Republican MEN are going to take us backward in time. Ask yourself Ladies, whether you're Democrat, Republican or Independent...Do you really want to go back to the "Good Old Days"? Really??? Do you want that for your daughters??? The Republican, Conservative, Right Wing members are starting to look a lot like the TALIBAN!!! Yes, the Taliban and US Republican Conservatives have A LOT in common!!!
Can we, the members of the rational parts of the Republican party, vote out Rush Limbaugh?
Guess he finally got tired of that "foot in mouth" flavor.
What a coward! Forget being President, you are no leader!
Romney is an absolute coward.
Bain owns Clear Channel which broadcasts Limbaugh's vile commentary. Romney profits off his continued interest in Bain. He has a responsibility as a Presidential candidate and a profiteer to let us know where he stands. Clear Channels Bain connection also explains the soft treatment Romney has been receiving.
Keep running away Willard, it's exactly what many of us have come to expect from you. Romney is too much of a coward to be the leader of this nation.
Mitt has to go to his bus and think about what his positions are to make sure he does not have to flip flop on them tomorrow. This guy has zero convictions and is not a leader.
So, Romney is afraid of Limbaugh too. What a sad commentary on those who want to be President of the
United States. Guess they are right. Romney has no core, and obviously no conviction for standing up
for what is right. His flip-flopping is the least of our worries if he is elected. Same for Santorum's
santimonious faux Christianity........on and on.
Weakness is not what we need now, but that seems to be all that the Republicans have to offer.
Well, Romney would do well and wise not to say anything on this matter.
He'd probably end up making a bad situation even worse.
Coward to the end.....
Had it been a democrat who had said these words then the Republicans would have been all over the commentator to have him removed.
I am sorry to have to be commenting on this, but, I am disgusted that they, who are always calling the President weak, can't tell Rush Limbaugh that his comments are highly offensive to women.
I am now very motivated to being involved in this election race. I have had it with this type of behavior
Romney: portrait in courage once again. How vile would LImbaugh have to be to be disavowed by Romney?