Romney Campaign on Mourdock’s Rape Comments: We ‘Still Support Him’
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s campaign said on Wednesday that they disagreed with Indiana GOP Senate candidate Richard Mourdock’s statement that pregnancy from rape “is something that God intended to happen,” but the former Massachusetts governor still supports him.
During a debate on Tuesday night, Mourdock had said that he did not support abortion in cases of rape or incest.
“I believe life begins at conception,” he explained. “The only exception I have for to have an abortion is in the case of the life of the mother. I struggled with myself for a long time but I came to realize life is that gift from God, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape. It is something that God intended to happen.”
Romney has endorsed Mourdock and recorded an advertisement personally encouraging voters to support him. Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan’s super PAC also donated $5,000 to the tea party-backed candidate in June.
In August, Romney appeared at a campaign event with Mourdock in Evansville, Indiana.
“This is a man that I want to see in Washington to make sure that we cannot just talk about changing things, but actually have the votes to get things changed,” Romney said.
Democrats have called on Romney to rescind his endorsement of Mourdock and immediately pull the advertisement.
But Romney campaign spokesperson Andrea Saul insisted on Wednesday that the former governor still backed Mourdock.
