Republican who says rape pregnancies are part of divine plan is no ‘gift from God’ for Mitt Romney

A POLITICAL uproar erupted Wednesday after a Republican Senate candidate said pregnancy caused by rape is “something God intended” — potentially complicating Mitt Romney’s drive to win the White House.

Richard Mourdock, the Republican nominee for Senate in Indiana, made the remark during a debate Tuesday night, trying to explain why he opposes all abortions, including those to end pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.

“I’ve struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God,” Mourdock said.

“And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

President Obama’s team pounced and sought to entangle Romney in the controversy.

“The President felt those comments were outrageous and demeaning to women,” said Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

“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.”

Romney quickly tried to distance himself from the remarks.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's campaign said he 'disagrees with Richard Mourdock, and Mr. Mourdock’s comments do not reflect Gov. Romney’s views' but he wouldn't pull support for the Indiana Republican.

“Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock, and Mr. Mourdock’s comments do not reflect Gov. Romney’s views,” Romney campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said.

However, the Romney campaign said Romney would not withdraw his endorsement of Mourdock or ask Mourdock to pull the TV advertisement Romney recorded for him. The ad that began running only days ago.

The controversy erupted as both presidential candidates have begun tailoring many of their campaign appeals to the undecided women voters who could sway the outcome of the election.

Those targeted appeals have enabled Romney to begin cutting into Obama’s longstanding lead with women voters. But Mourdock’s comments threatened to reignite Democrats’ claims that the GOP is waging a “war on women.”

Mourdock, a conservative who won his party’s Senate nomination with Tea Party backing, said Wednesday he was sorry if his words were “misinterpreted” by those looking for political gain.

He said he meant that pregnancy — not rape — was part of a divine plan.

“I think that God can see beauty in every life,” Mourdock said at a hastily called news conference Wednesday. “Certainly, I did not intend to suggest that God wants rape, that God pushes people to rape, that God wants to support or condone evil in any way.

“I spoke from my heart. And speaking from my heart, speaking from the deepest level of my faith, I would not apologize,” he continued. “I would be less than faithful if I said anything other than life is precious, I believe it’s a gift from God.”

Twitter exploded with liberal outrage, and Democrats lined up to slam the remarks.

“If Mitt Romney is serious about repudiating these heinous views on rape, he will take down this ad immediately,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Some Republicans also distanced themselves from Mourdock’s views.

New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, a top Romney surrogate, said she disagreed with the candidate and canceled a scheduled joint fund-raiser in Indiana.

But the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which has invested heavily in Mourdock and Indiana, said the candidate’s words were being twisted.

Mourdock’s comments created a sense of unfortunate deja vu for Republicans.

President Obama's camp called the remarks '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.'

It recalled the controversy in August when Missouri Senate candidate Todd Aiken claimed a woman’s body prevented “legitimate rape” from causing pregnancy.

Aiken apologized but, despite pressure from the national party, refused to drop out of the race. He is now badly trailing in the polls.

Republicans fear that Mourdock, who defeated longtime incumbent Richard Lugar in the GOP primary earlier this year, could now face a similar fate — all but ruining Republican hopes of wresting control of the Senate from Democrats this year.

The new controversy comes just as Romney is trying to broaden his appeal beyond the conservative Republicans he courted during his party’s primaries.

Conservative super PACs — whose money usually funds advertisements featuring harsh attacks on Obama — suddenly changed direction this week with powerful new commercials showcasing a side of Romney not normally seen.

One ad features the parents of a young cancer victim whom Romney befriended in the hospital. Another stars a Iraq veteran discussing Romney’s work with a charity that builds homes for seriously injured servicemen.

The ads were launched as Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), served up a message of compassion Wednesday, arguing that the GOP ticket would do more to help the nation’s poor.

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Courtesy: NYD