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Published: Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 / Updated: Thursday, Oct. 25, 2012 08:00 AM

Obama: Mourdock's remarks on rape were "outrageous and demeaning"

President Obama thought the comments uttered Tuesday by Indiana Republican Richard Mourdock that pregnancy from rape is "something God intended to happen" were "outrageous and demeaning to women,'' his spokeswoman said this morning.

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has endorsed Mourdock, a candidate for U.S. Senate, and starred in a TV ad for him.

"The president felt those comments were outrageous and demeaning to women,'' Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. "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 had sought to distance himself from the remarks, but did not pull the ad or the endorsement.

"This is an issue where Mitt Romney is starring in an ad for this senator (sic) and it is perplexing that he wouldn't demand to have that ad taken down,'' Psaki said. "I think it is clear that Mitt Romney, that many Republicans who are running for office including him, including Mr Murdock have very extreme positions on issue that women care deeply about in this country. That if they have the opportunity to be partners, in the White House and the Senate, then that is something that women should have, and I think will have, concern about as they are going to the voting booth."