Barack Obama criticises US Republican's rape remarks

Burbank: President Barack Obama has criticised Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock for his remarks about rape and pregnancy, saying that "rape is rape" and that the Republican's comments "don't make any sense to me."

During a debate on Tuesday night Mourdock said that when pregnancy occurs from rape, then it is "something God intended." The Indiana Republican opposes abortion except when the woman's life is in danger.

Mr Obama was appearing on "The Tonight Show" when host Jay Leno asked him about Mourdock's remarks and referred to another Republican Senate hopeful, Missouri's Todd Akin. Earlier in his campaign Akin, also an opponent of abortion, referred to "legitimate rape" when contending that women's bodies are capable of preventing pregnancy after rape.

"Well, I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas," Obama said. "Let me make a very simple proposition. Rape is rape. It is a crime. And so these various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me - don't make any sense to me."

Mr Obama added: "This is exactly why you don't want a bunch of politicians, mostly male, making decisions about women's health care decisions. Women are capable of making these decisions in consultation with their partners, with their doctors. And for politicians to want to intrude in this stuff, oftentimes without any information, is a huge problem. And this is obviously part of what's stake at this election."

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Earlier Wednesday, Mourdock refused to apologize for the "something God intended" remark but said that he regrets that some may have misconstrued and "twisted" his comments.