GOP Senate candidate: Pregnancies from rape God’s will

[mikesimon]

5 minutes ago
GOP Senate candidate: Pregnancies from rape God’s will
Posted by
CNN's Kevin Liptak

(CNN) – Richard Mourdock, running for U.S. Senate in Indiana, said at a debate Tuesday that pregnancies that result from rape are intended by God.

The Republican candidate was explaining his opposition to abortion in cases of rape or incest when he made the remark.

"I struggled with it myself for a long time, and I realized that life is a gift from God, and I think even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something God intended to happen," Mourdock said, explaining that he would allow for exceptions to an abortion ban when a mother's life is in danger.

In early May, Mourdock defeated longtime GOP Sen. Richard Lugar in a bitterly contested GOP primary vote, and is facing Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly in November's election.

In a statement following the debate, Mourdock wrote that "God creates life, and that was my point."

"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," he continued.

Donnelly, who campaigns as an anti-abortion candidate, also responded, writing, "I think rape is a heinous and violent crime in every instance. The God I believe in and the God I know most Hoosiers believe in, does not intend for rape to happen-ever. What Mr. Mourdock said is shocking, and it is stunning that he would be so disrespectful to survivors of rape."

At Tuesday's debate, Donnelly said, "The only exceptions I believe in are for rape and incest and life of the mother."

Mourdock has enjoyed support from GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who traveled to Indiana in August to campaign for the tea party-backed candidate alongside former Vice President Dan Quayle and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Romney has also appeared in a television ad for Mourdock.

Andrea Saul, a Romney campaign spokeswoman, said in response to Mourdock's rape comments that "Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock's comments, and they do not reflect his views."

The GOP candidate for governor in Indiana, Rep. Mike Pence, said in a Wednesday statement, "I strongly disagree with the statement made by Richard Mourdock during last night's Senate debate. I urge him to apologize."

Former President Bill Clinton stumped in Indiana last week for Donnelly. A Howey/DePauw University poll taken September 19-23 showed Donnelly at 40% and Mourdock at 38% among likely Indiana voters.

The Republican Senate candidate's remarks on rape and abortion are the latest flash point on the highly sensitive issue. In August, U.S. Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri – also running for Senate – ignited a firestorm when he said "legitimate rape" rarely resulted in pregnancy.

Akin, who faced backlash from Democrats as well as from most of his own party, defiantly remained in the race, despite calls from GOP leaders, including Romney, to step aside.

A senior GOP strategist, however, said Mourdock may not face as much pushback from Republican leaders as Akin experienced, given the limited time remaining before Election Day and the importance for the GOP to win the Indiana seat.

"Mourdock said what millions of people believe – that babies are a gift from God," the strategist said. "Akin said something crazy about women's bodies rejecting pregnancy from rape, which no one believes."

The strategist argued that because "Indiana is a very pro-life state," Mourdock's comments "won't be fatal" for his Senate campaign.

In fact, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Sen. John Cornyn, released a statement Wednesday morning supporting Mourdock.

"Richard and I, along with millions of Americans – including even Joe Donnelly – believe that life is a gift from God. To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous," Cornyn said in the statement.

But that hasn't stopped Democrats from pounding away at the comment.

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday that Obama "felt those comments were outrageous and demeaning to women."

"This is a reminder that a Republican Congress working with a Republican president Mitt Romney would (feel) that women should not be able to make choices about their own health care," she said, according to notes taken by a pool reporter.

"This is an issue where Mitt Romney is starring in an ad," she continued, "and it is perplexing that he wouldn't demand to have that ad taken down."

"I think it is clear that Mitt Romney, that many Republicans who are running for office including him, including Mr. Mourdock have very extreme positions on issue that women care deeply about in this country," she continued. "That if they have the opportunity to be partners, in the White House and the Senate, then that is something that women should have, and I think will have, concern about as they are going to the voting booth."

Dawn Laguens of the group Planned Parenthood, which provides abortion and other health care services, said in a statement, "Mitt Romney must immediately rescind his endorsement of (Mourdock) and demand that (Mourdock) take down the campaign ads featuring him."

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, described the comment as "outrageous and demeaning to women" in a statement and called on Romney to take down his ad for Mourdock.

Democratic groups, including the DNC and a Democratic super PAC, put out web videos Wednesday morning to highlight Mourdock's remarks.

Rep. Joe Walsh, another tea party-backed Republican running for re-election in Illinois, questioned last week the necessity of allowing abortions if a mother's life is at risk, saying such an exemption to an abortion ban was simply a tool by pro-choice activists.

Speaking after a debate with his opponent, Walsh seemed to suggest medical advances made dangerous pregnancies rare.

"This is an issue that opponents of life throw out there to make us look unreasonable," Walsh said. "There's no such exception as life of the mother, and as far as health of the mother, same thing, with advances in science and technology. Health of the mother has been, has become a tool for abortions any time under any reason."

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly disputed Walsh's position.

"Contrary to the inaccurate statements made yesterday by Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), abortions are necessary in a number of circumstances to save the life of a woman or to preserve her health," reads a response posted on the ACOG's website on October 19, 2012. "These inaccurate comments are yet another reason why The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (The College) message to politicians is unequivocal: Get out of our exam rooms."

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/10/24/gop-senate-candidate-pregnancies-from-rape-gods-will/?hpt=hp_t2

[rivll]

Agreed.

[orphanedhawk]

This points out why it is so very very important to keep religion and politics separate.

Political decisions must be in keeping with our country's view of not discriminating on basis of religion.

Freedom of religion means ALL religions including none, not just Christian based religions.

[mikesimon]

When you try to integrate theology into reality and practicality you're always going to have irreconcilable situations.

So my position is "Don't try".

[teko]

I agree SM, I guess I'm in the same place actually. I just don't think it should be handled from the stance of government. I really don't believe in abortion personally, but am adamant about every woman's right to choose. I dont believe in any one putting himself in Gods place. To me, God considers a sin a sin, and he has given us free will and his word. We answer to him ultimately and that is one thing every single one of us have in common.

I have no problem if this guy wants to believe what he does, but I do have a problem with those views being used to lead with. That is my issue. And if we continue to allow this, I promise that one day we WILL have sharia law in this country. It is very dangerous to go that route in this day and age. imo

[specialmom]

That is the problem with abortion as an issue.  It is so wrapped up in how people fundamentally believe that if you believe that faith is number one, abortion may be something you are wholeheartedly against.  How else do you explain that so many are so pro life?  

I'm, again, totally in the middle.

My hope?  That the Republican party will slide their views more to the middle.  But their is a really conservative faction of the Republican party that won't budge.  They are as pro life as some are pro choice.  I really think our law makers need to meet in the middle.  

[Vance2335]

Is it God's will? Is it Satan's will? If you believe that good and evil exist then you can also believe that man is tempted into evil and it's not so much God's will but satan's temtation that drives man to do evil acts.

Can his comments be defended...by some who have a different view then others. Just like killing in God's name was defended during the Crusades and so on.

It's a long and drawn out discussion that is too long for the fourms I believe.

But his comments are stupid.

[teko]

Im talking about GOP idiots running for office, I guess I should have clarified. I think you have the right to think anyway you choose to, and so does everyone else. Therein lies my problem with this stuff.

[specialmom]

Teko, I do believe that all that happens to me and others is the will of God and I always will until the day I die.  It is just how I believe.  I have had tragedy in my life and some pretty horrific things and that has never detered me from believing God has it all in his plan.  

Doesn't mean anyone else has to believe that at all but I don't see it as idiocy that I do.  

[brice1967]

It's pretty safe to say that not everyone within the GOP feels that way.

[specialmom]

Is it God's will?  I don't know.  Are those children in foster care any less valuable than other children?  

I'd never argue that a woman who is raped should have to carry a baby that came from it.  I don't think she should have to.  

But I do have a problem at looking at people already on this Earth and saying they'd have been better off never being born.  I just can't go there.  And yes, I'm aware of the ugliness in this world.  

The reason for abortion after a rape to me has to do with the mother and her feelings rather than the baby she may have been impregnated with.  I think forcing a woman to have a child  after being raped is insult added to injury.  

[teko]

So let's see now, if the pregnancy is the will of God, then it follows naturally that the rape itself is the will of God. How many more idiocies will these GOP characters come up with to justify their stand on abortion? And to think that these are the guys who deem themselves qualified to run the country. All I can say is, God help us.

Terrible example of "the ends justifies the means"!

[rivll]

I didn't see this or I wouldn't have posted the other link to the video.  !!
Of course abortion is terrible, that is not the issue.
What this Senator is saying is that from conception..no morning after pill, from conception!
Is it God's will that there are thousands of abandoned children living in foster homes? Is it Gods will that children live and die in misery because of the incompetence or evil of the adults in their lives? Is it Gods will that a woman will let a zygote grow into a human she will then discard?
God gives us lots of gifts and He gives us a lot of misery. It is up to us to make it right and that is an individual choice, not one for the Government.
BTW I have a very religious son that would agree with this Senator. He is the most loving father I have ever known and he is a good man, but he does not really have a clue of what the real world is and if he knew what I know, he would be crushed. So people can go ahead and legislate laws against women and sit in judgment of women who abort a zygote or an embryo but they really are missing the lifetimes of hell and misery that rape can cause a woman and her family.

[specialmom]

Brice, I agree.  So would Romney.  

[brice1967]

It is an emotional thing.  I heard this this morning before I even got my first sip o coffee down the hatch on the morning commute.  I too hate to think of a baby being aborted, but to levy that against someone who has been raped and to assume that "God has a reason for it" (I think that is how the guy worded it) is wrong....

My God would be against the rape and torture that forever follows that act.  If the woman so desires to have this baby and raise it, good for her.  But if this woman decides to have an abortion, I will stand by her right to do so.

[specialmom]

I read this in my local paper today.  Rape is always a horrific and a sad thing.  There are some conflicted thoughts that go around in my head to be honest.   While I would never force a woman to have a child brought to her from rape, I also find it sad that an innocent baby is cast into this as some type of evil seed that must be removed.  That is honestly from my heart and not meant to stir up a big fight.  It's sad is all i am saying.  

Luckily, Romney and the platform of the Republican party makes exceptions for rape so that women can choose whether to have the child or not.  

I do personally believe that God is part of all things that happen to me, good and bad.  That, however, is my personal belief only which doesn't mean I feel others need to feel that way.