Paul Ryan calls Todd Akin’s comments ‘outrageous’
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan distanced himself from embattled Missouri Senate candidate Rep. Todd Akin, calling his remarks over the weekend about women who have been raped "outrageous."
"His statements were outrageous, over the pale," Ryan told CBS Pittsburgh's Jon Delano in an interview that aired Wednesday morning. "I don't know anybody who would agree with that. Rape is rape period, end of story."
Akin, who on Sunday suggested that women who are "legitimately raped" cannot get pregnant, has battled off calls from within his own party to drop his bid for the Senate.
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In the House, Ryan co-sponsored bills with Akin that would restrict federally-funded abortions, even for victims of rape and incest. Ryan stood by his vote in the interview, but declined to elaborate.
Here's the exchange:
Delano: "Should abortions to be available to women who are raped?"
Ryan: "Well, look, I'm proud of my pro-life record. And I stand by my pro-life record in Congress. It's something I'm proud of. But Mitt Romney is the top of the ticket and Mitt Romney will be president and he will set the policy of the Romney administration." …
Delano: "You sponsored legislation that has the language 'forcible rape.' What is forcible rape as opposed…"
Ryan: "Rape is rape. Rape is rape, period. End of story."
Delano: "So that forcible rape language meant nothing to you at the time?"
Ryan: "Rape is rape and there's no splitting hairs over rape."