GOP Senate candidate accuses Dems of distorting his rape comments
(CNN) - U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock said Wednesday that he is sorry if he offended anyone by saying that pregnancies from rape are "something that God intended to happen" but accused Democrats of distorting his comments for political gain.
"For those who want to kind of twist the comments and use them for partisan, political gain, I think that's what's wrong with Washington these days," the Indiana candidate said. "I spoke from my heart; I spoke with my principle; I spoke from my faith. And if others want to somehow turn those words and use them against me, again, that's what's wrong with Washington today.
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"It is win at any costs. Let's make up issues when we can't find real ones. Let's twist, let's distort, let's deceive. And I think that's a sad process."
His initial comments came during a debate Tuesday with Democratic congressman Joe Donnelly, and they prompted outrage among liberals who accuse the GOP of seeking to undermine women's rights.
"Mr. Mourdock's lack of compassion for rape survivors is callous, insulting and completely out of touch," said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Mourdock became the Republican Senate nominee after toppling longtime incumbent Richard Lugar in a bitter primary fight. The Louisville (Kentucky) Courier-Journal, which had endorsed Lugar, announced Wednesday that it was endorsing Donnelly in part because of Mourdock's pregnancy comment.
The newspaper, which has readers in southern Indiana, wrote that Mourdock's statement "exceeded extreme" and that Donnelly represented "the only rational choice for voters."
The flap erupted after Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney endorsed Mourdock in a television commercial this week. In a statement issued Wednesday, Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul said the presidential hopeful "disagrees with Richard Mourdock, and Mr. Mourdock's comments do not reflect Gov. Romney's views" - but Romney still supports him, she said.
The head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, stood behind Mourdock as well.
"Richard and I, along with millions of Americans - including even Joe Donnelly - believe that life is a gift from God," Cornyn said in a written statement. "To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous. In fact, rather than condemning him for his position, as some in his party have when it's come to Republicans, I commend Congressman Donnelly for his support of life."
Donnelly has said he opposes abortion but would allow exceptions for rape and incest and when the life of the mother is endangered.
The controversy comes two months after Rep. Todd Akin, the GOP Senate nominee in Missouri, touched off a firestorm over the same issue when he said "legitimate rape" rarely results in pregnancy. Akin faced a backlash from most of his own party as well as Democrats but defied calls to step aside from numerous GOP leaders, including Romney.
A senior GOP strategist said Mourdock may not face as much pushback from Republican leaders, given the limited time remaining before Election Day and the importance of holding the Indiana seat. But Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-New Hampshire, canceled plans to campaign with Mourdock on Wednesday.
Ayotte spokesman Jeff Grappone said in a statement, "She disagrees with Treasurer Mourdock's comments, which do not represent her views." And the GOP candidate for governor in Indiana, Rep. Mike Pence, said in a statement issued Wednesday, "I strongly disagree with the statement made by Richard Mourdock during last night's Senate debate. I urge him to apologize."
And Democrats swiftly pounced on the remark. Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz issued a statement describing the comment as "outrageous and demeaning to women" and called on Romney to take down his ad. Democratic groups and their allies put out web videos Wednesday morning to highlight Mourdock's comments.
"As Mourdock's most prominent booster and star of Mourdock's current campaign ads, Mitt Romney should denounce these comments more strongly than he has," DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse said. "He should go further and demand that the ad featuring him speaking directly to the camera on Mourdock's behalf be taken off the air, and Mitt Romney should withdraw his endorsement of Mourdock immediately."
Mourdock was explaining his opposition to abortion in cases of rape or incest when he made his remark.
"I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is a gift from God, and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen," said Mourdock, the Indiana state treasurer. He added that he would allow for exceptions to an abortion ban when a mother's life was in danger.
Seeking to clarify his comments, Mourdock said Wednesday that "I absolutely abhor violence. I absolutely abhor any kind of sexual violence. I abhor rape, and I am absolutely confident that, as I stand here, the God that I worship abhors violence, abhors sexual violence and abhors rape. The God that I worship would never, ever want to see evil done.
"So many people mistook, twisted, came to misunderstand the points that I was trying to make. ... If they came away with any impression other than that, I truly regret it."
CNN's Kevin Liptak, Dana Bash, Paul Steinhauser, Rachel Streitfeld and Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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This guy is sick, sick, sick. Does he have any daughters? If he does, I pity them.
Dumb Repubs = Gods mistake
Outstanding. Why don't i ever hear Democrats making statements like this? Because it looks like all of the nuts are in the GOP.
What are the people in Indiana GOP doing!? These canidates are dangerous, out of touch and have been reading the wrong Bible. To put them in the seat of government would be a disgrace. Nothing taken out of context here. These guys and their supporters are way too scary.
It's Gods Will that this guy adopt those babies. Life is too precious not to that. It's the right thing to do. Right? Mr. Guy?
I don't think this person believes in God...
Perfect example on media trying to leverage eyeballs by quoting out of context and causing angst among a sensitive audience.
Even as a Christian, I cannot believe what I have read. Is this really what we want as a representative for a state?
I'm sure Mr. Mourdock would simply rejoice in the miracle of life if one of his female relatives were raped, and give God all the Glory, Praise Jesus. I can't wait to have Mr. Mourdock in a position of influence, where his astute mind can guide US policy. If God is in Heaven, may He save us from morons like this fellow.
Religious people are so sick in the mind it's disgusting.
GOP shows their true caveman ways again.
Americans have the most inbred candidates on the planet, no wonder your country looks like a joke
Mourdock Akin for RAPE (Republican Are People's Enemies). Devils in disguise.....
Which is exactly why the various religions can JUSTIFY anything simply by claiming it's god's will. What a crock of BS.
this statement is such a bizarre .. its has to be a call of women ...if she want to keep it or not .. no one should force women to drop it or keep it .. it her own decision ..
Why does the rapist stay in jail? Will Mr.Mourdock release all of them if he or his party wins to implement God's plan?
People like him are exactly the reason why I have trouble voting for GOP in spite of below average job done by Obama.
What a sick puppy!
I'm so sick of these male geezers talking about something they will never understand. WHERE ARE YOUR JOBS BILLS? Where are your economic plans? Nope, we're going to just stop abortions, that'll solve all our problems.
Can you say "HEEE-HAWWWW."
How sad that the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt has devolved into a vehicle for candidates like Murdock, Bachmann, Cain, Walsh and so on. With that many wingnuts, it's not a coincidence. The entire party needs to be exiled to the wilderness for a few years to regain its sanity.
Yet more Tea Party candidates coming out on the way extreme right. There should always be exceptions for mothers health, rape, and incest cases. We don't need to harm a woman more by refusing an abortion after a rape or incest type situation.
Whoa Man, Whoa man. I literally am in shock. It's almost not worth arguing the point.
Yet another imbecile running under the Republican banner.
Another member of the western Taliban.
Here we go again! GOPers say the darndest things Volume 4