“Even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” Those words were uttered yesterday—in the year 2012—by Richard Mourdock, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Indiana.
Guess who Mourdock's most prominent booster is? Mitt Romney, the man who could be your president-elect in just 13 days.
Romney has only endorsed a single Senate candidate in this election. In a Mourdock campaign ad that was released on Monday night—and is still on the airwaves—Romney looks directly into the camera and tells Indiana, "There's so much at stake. I hope you'll join me in voting for Richard Mourdock."
Well, Romney got one thing right: There is a lot at stake, especially if you're a woman. The sad fact is, Mourdock's rape comment is just the latest outrageous and demeaning episode in a larger Republican platform that's openly hostile to women. Remember: Romney and Paul Ryan agree that a women should not have the right make decisions about her own body—even in cases of rape or incest. He's trying to hide it from voters, but Romney supported so-called personhood policies, a no-exceptions human life amendment to the Constitution, and vowed to defund Planned Parenthood. His running mate—like Todd Akin—supported legislation to narrow the definition of rape. And now, Romney refuses to request that his Mourdock ad be taken off the air, and he refuses to pull his endorsement.
Romney won't stand up to Mourdock and the extreme wing of his party—he shares their extreme policies. So if you're outraged, let him know. Tell Romney it's unacceptable to endorse a candidate who thinks pregnancy from rape is what "God intended."
"There's so much at stake."
