President Obama used an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" Wednesday to respond to the latest bizarre comments about rape by a Republican candidate for Senate.
Indiana's Richard Mourdock said this week that "even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen." He drew widespread criticism, including from Republican Sen. John McCain. Leno said it recalled Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" comments.
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"I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas," Obama said. "Let me make a very simple proposition. Rape is rape. It is a crime."
He added that the comments underscore why male politicians shouldn't make decisions about womens' health.
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The rest of the interview was considerably more lighthearted. Obama addressed the NHL lockout, his weak performance in the first debate, and Donald Trump. (On Wednesday, the "Celebrity Apprentice" star offered Obama $5 million to release personal records. He previously called on the president to release his birth certificate, which confirmed that the president was born in Hawaii, just as he has always asserted.)
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"What's this thing with Trump and you? It's like me and Letterman," Leno said.
"This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya," Obama said. "We had constant run-ins on the soccer field. He wasn't very good and resented it. When we finally moved to America I thought it would be over."
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