Yet another Republican has sparked a mini-firestorm over comments about women and rapte — this one in a close Senate race. GOPers are now trying to play defense and distance themselves from his remarks, but not repudiate him since they want and need the Senate seat and Democrats are jumping all over the comments:
Richard Mourdock, the Indiana Republican Senate candidate, came under fire Tuesday night for comments suggesting that pregnancies occurring from rape are the result of God’s will.
At a Tuesday night debate during which Mourdock was asked about his position on abortion, he said the procedure should be allowed only to save the life of a mother.
“I know there are some who disagree, and I respect their point of view, but I believe that life begins at conception,” Mourdock said at a debate with Democratic opponent Rep. Joe Donnelly and libertarian Andrew Horning. “The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother.”
Mourdock added: “I just struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize: Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
And thus a political ad (for the Democrats) has been born as well as another sound bite some Super PACs will likely twin with sound bites from some other GOPers on the subject. You can see this coming a mile away:
The Indiana Democratic Party and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington immediately jumped on the comments, comparing them with the firestorm over remarks made by Todd Akin, the Missouri Senate GOP candidate who defended his opposition to abortion in cases of rape by saying “legitimate rape” rarely leads to pregnancies and forces female bodies to shut down.
“As a pro-life Catholic, I’m stunned and ashamed that Richard Mourdock believes God intended rape,” said Dan Parker, chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party.
“Victims of rape are victims of an extremely violent act, and mine is not a violent God. Do we need any more proof that Richard Mourdock is an extremist who’s out of touch with Hoosiers?”
The Mourdock campaign immediately put out a statement clarifying his statement and rejecting the Democratic outcry.
“God creates life, and that was my point,” Mourdock said in the statement. “God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that He does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick.”
Mitt Romney, who cut an ad for Mourdock this week urging Hoosier State voters to elect the Republican, distanced himself from the GOP candidate’s remarks Tuesday night.
But, as Buzzfeed notes, Romney is expressing disagreement with Mourdock — and that’s about it:
A spokesperson for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said he disagrees with Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s comments on rape and abortion Tuesday night.
In a debate with his opponents, Mourdock, who started broadcasting an ad featuring Mitt Romney’s endorsement just yesterday, said that it is God’s plan for women who are impregnated by rape to have the child, saying he opposes abortion except for instances where the life of the mother is at risk.
“I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize life is that gift from God,” Mourdock said. “And I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”
“Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock’s comments, and they do not reflect his views,” said Romney press secretary Andrea Saul in a statement. Romney is supportive of allowing abortion in cases of rape and incest.
Saul did not respond when asked if Romney continues to endorse Mourdock or if he would ask the candidate to stop airing the ad.
Stay tuned to your favorite talk radio show or cablestation to hear more outrage and defense of Mourdock…
You can see this igniting on Twitter. A selection of Tweets:
9h American Bridge ?@American_Bridge
Romney: “”This fall, I’m supporting Richard Mourdock.” – Mourdock: Pregnancy from rape is “something God intended.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnnETAyGmM …
PNew DNC Video:: Mitt Romney: Extremely Conservative and Endorsing Richard Mourdock
7h ANNE LAMOTT ?@ANNELAMOTTPoor Mitt. His ad endorsing Mourdock just came out 24 hrs ago. Mourdock is new Todd Akin. Gonna get that binder of women all agitated again.
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7h Donna Brazile ?@donnabrazile
This is not good enough! It is time to take a stand Mr.Romney and not just distance yourself from Mourdock’s comments http://zite.to/T9IhPs7h James Morrison ?@JamesPMorrison
Women take note: Romney/Ryan & Mourdock aim to put you down and keep you down. They are as violent in their oppression of you as the rapist.7h Big Bird ?@BlGBlRD
BREAKING: In a statement from some cave in Pakistan, the Taliban endorsed Todd Akin and Richard Mourdock for US senate.8h Sabrina Siddiqui ?@SabrinaSiddiqui
“Please, please send us Richard Mourdock. We need this man in the United States Senate” — Paul Ryan last month http://bit.ly/TeCxs98h DCCC ?@dccc
SIGN AND RETWEET – Tell Mitt Romney to denounce Richard Mourdock for his disgusting anti-woman views: http://dems.me/UzSLy08h Andrew Kaczynski ?@BuzzFeedAndrew
The ad Romney cut for Mourdock is the only ad he’s done for a Congressional/Senatorial candidate this election.
Expand9h Josh Barro ?@jbarro
I’m not sure what god intends for me to have for breakfast tomorrow. Can someone ask Richard Mourdock?
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9h e mcmorris-santoro ?@evanmc_s
prediction: main photo on Richard Mourdock’s Facebook page will be changed soon http://twitpic.com/b6vehz
View photo
9h Chris Harris ?@ChrisHarrisKS
Romney called on Akin to drop out. He endorsed Mourdock. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnnETAyGmM …9h American Bridge ?@American_Bridge
NEW VIDEO: The Romney-Mourdock Ticket http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdnnETAyGmM …9h David Waldman ?@KagroX
Todd Akin believes women’s bodies defy what Richard Mourdock says is God’s will. Republican Civil War.10h Jeff S ?@AlliedBiscuit
If you live in Indiana and don’t vote for Joe Donnelly over Richard Mourdock you seriously need to reevaluate your life http://www.youtube.com/watch?10h Kaili Joy Gray ?@KailiJoy
Mourdock isn’t extraordinary. He’s just a Republican: http://shar.es/cGxEQ10h Melissa Clouthier ?@MelissaTweets
I stand with Richard Mourdock and the culture of life. #INSen10h Timothy P Carney ?@TPCarney
Seriously shameful stuff from liberals distorting Mourdock. I’m embarrassed for some journos I respect. Good night.
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10h Dana Loesch ?@DLoesch
The same people who feted and accused rapist at the DNC are feigning outrage at Mourdock’s totally non-offensive remark. #INsen10h Ethan Klapper ?@ethanklapper
Headline from just this morning: “Mitt Romney cuts ad for Richard Mourdock, calls him ’51st vote’ to repeal Obamacare” http://huff.to/VBDgXC10h Luke Russert ?@LukeRussert
McConnell has to be beyond furious. Christine O’Donnell/Angle to Akin/Mourdock sinking his chance at being Majority Leader. #GOP10h Adam Smith ?@asmith83
Mitch McConnell was in Indiana yesterday for a fundraiser with Mourdock. http://bit.ly/QUi47J . He may not be too happy tonight.11h Jacob Perry ?@jacobperry
Shorter #INSen Dems: “OMG! Mourdock believes in an omniscient God who can turn evil into good! WE CAN’T ELECT THAT BIGOT!” #tolerance
This story will take up a chunk of the political news cycle today. It’s a great story for the media — outrageous comments often are — and it provides great material for left (outrage) and right (play defense) talk show and cable political show hosts. The bottom line: it’s unlikely to help Mourdock and isn’t something Team Romney wants to talk about right now.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.