President Barack Obama says a GOP Senate candidate's comments on rape are "offensive."
Obama said at a news conference Monday that comments by Missouri Congressman Todd Akin do not make sense.
Obama said, "Rape is rape" and said the idea of distinguishing among types of rape "doesn't make sense to the American people and certainly doesn't make sense to me."
Obama said the comments underscore why politicians — a majority of whom are men — should not make decisions on behalf of women.
"Although these particular comments have led Governor Romney and other Republicans to distance themselves, I think the underlying notion that we should be making decisions on behalf of women for their healthcare decisions or qualifying forcible rape versus non-forcible rape, I think those are broader issues," Obama said.
Obama qualified that Akin's comments were not a widespread belief heald within the GOP.
"I don't think that they would agree with the Senator [sic] from Missouri in terms of his statement, which was way out there," he said.
Akin said in an interview Sunday that women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in "a legitimate rape" and that conception is rare in such cases.
Akin, who is running to unseat Missouri's Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, apologized for his comments Monday and said he plans to stay in the Senate race.
When asked if Akin should drop out of the Senate race the president said, "He was nominated by the Republicans of Missouri, I'll let them sort that out."
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