A senior adviser to Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign distanced the GOP presidential nominee from Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock on Wednesday after the Hoosier said pregnancies resulting from rape are “something that God intended to happen.” 
 
 “The governor’s position on this is long-standing,” Bay Buchanan said on MSNBC. “He’s against abortion except in cases of rape or incest, and of course, the life of the mother. That’s been his position for a long time now, and he’s been very consistent about that. And he disagrees entirely with what the Senate candidate said.” 
 
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 reset DNC slams endorsement Mourdock remarks on rape 
 
 (Also on POLITICO: Mourdock under fire for rape remarks) 
 
 Asked whether Mourdock’s comment “hurt,” Buchanan replied: “Certainly not our campaign.” 
 
 During a debate Tuesday night with his Democratic opponent, Rep. Joe Donnelly, Mourdock explained his opposition to a rape exception: “I just struggled with it myself for a long time but I came to realize: Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” 
 
 Democrats have jumped on the remark, comparing it to Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-Mo.) assertion that pregnancy can’t result from “legitimate rape.” The NRSC is sticking by Mourdock, and the candidate has said he was merely saying life is a gift from God. Arguing otherwise, Mourdock said, is”absurd and sick.” 
 
 As governor of Massachusetts, Romney was a supporter of abortion rights. In 2004, Romney announced he had changed positions on the issue, and has campaign for the presidency as an opponent of abortion rights. While Romney supports exceptions for rape and the life of the mother in an abortion ban, his running mate — Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan — does not. ||||| A revised version of this post is available here. 
 
 The Obama campaign on Wednesday quickly seized on abortion and rape comments made by the Indiana Republican Senate candidate in an attempt to entangle the Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, in a politically charged issue threatening to brew into a firestorm like the one that followed comments by Representative Todd Akin. 
 
 In a Senate debate Tuesday night, Richard Mourdock, the Indiana state treasurer, tried to distinguish himself from two opponents who also oppose abortion, explaining why he does not accept an exception for pregnancies conceived by rape. 
 
 “I’ve struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God,” Mr. Mourdock said. “And even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.” 
 
 On Wednesday morning, continuing to press a Democratic narrative that depicts the Republican Party as out of step with women, the Obama campaign sharply criticized the remarks. 
 
 President Obama “felt those comments were outrageous and demeaning to women,” Jen Psaki, the president’s campaign spokeswoman, told reporters Wednesday morning. “It is clear that Mitt Romney, that many Republicans who are running for office including him, including Mr. Mourdock, have very extreme positions on issues that women care deeply about,” she said, warning that women should be concerned if Republicans win both the White House and Senate. 
 
 Mr. Mourdock’s statements could singe Mr. Romney, who cut a television advertisement, released on Monday, endorsing Mr. Mourdock. 
 
 During her briefing with reporters, Ms. Psaki called it “perplexing” that Mr. Romney had not demanded that his endorsement ad be taken down from Indiana television. Mr. Romney supports abortion in the case of rape, incest and when the health of the mother is at risk. 
 
 The Democratic National Committee has tried to draw attention to the endorsement with a new video featuring a montage of debate footage. 
 
 Republicans had already tried to contain the fallout, strongly pushing back on the suggestion that Mr. Mourdock condoned rape. 
 
 Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, claimed that Mr. Mourdock’s position was no different from that of Representative Joe Donnelly, the Democratic candidate in the unexpectedly tight contest. 
 
 “Richard and I, along with millions of Americans — including even Joe Donnelly — believe that life is a gift from God. To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous,” Mr. Cornyn said in a statement. “In fact, rather than condemning him for his position, as some in his party have when it’s come to Republicans, I commend Congressman Donnelly for his support of life.” 
 
 But the rape-and-abortion theme is threatening to push the close Indiana Senate race into the realm of the Missouri Senate race, another campaign that was supposed to favor Republicans before the Republican candidate, Todd Akin, defended his opposition to abortion in cases of rape and threw the contest off kilter. The incumbent Democrat in Missouri, Senator Claire McCaskill, is now expected to hold her seat. 
 
 During the Indiana debate, Mr. Mourdock’s comment did not yield much of a response from Mr. Donnelly, but other Democrats pounced. And Mr. Mourdock released a statement to clarify, “God creates life, and that was my point. God does not want rape, and by no means was I suggesting that he does. Rape is a horrible thing, and for anyone to twist my words otherwise is absurd and sick.” 
 
 Republicans noted that Mr. Donnelly, an Irish Catholic whose base is in South Bend, the home to University of Notre Dame, co-sponsored controversial legislation in 2011 that would have changed the federal ban on abortion funding to exempt conceptions from “forcible” rape, not just rape. The Mourdock campaign said this backing showed Mr. Donnelly believes pregnancies from statutory rape or incest should have to be carried to term. 
 
 Mr. Donnelly had said, earlier this year, that he was not aware that Republican authors of the bill had added the “forcible” language and was glad when an outcry forced them to remove it. 
 
 Mr. Cornyn tried Wednesday to change the subject. 
 
 “This election is about big ideas and the reality that our country is going in the wrong direction,” he said in a statement. “If you support Obamacare, government bailouts, reckless spending and higher taxes than you should vote for Joe Donnelly. But if you believe, as I do, that our government is too big, our taxes are too high, and we are passing an irresponsible debt onto future generations, than Richard Mourdock is your candidate to help get our country back on track.” 
 
 Mr. Mourdock beat Senator Richard Lugar, a six-term moderate, in the Republican primary in May. ||||| The NRSC is standing by its candidate in Indiana, Richard Mourdock, after the Senate hopeful said that pregnancies resulting from rape are “something God intended to happen,” while Mitt Romney and other Republicans are distancing themselves from the Hoosier. 
 
 “Richard and I, along with millions of Americans — including even Joe Donnelly — believe that life is a gift from God,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn, the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. “To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous. In fact, rather than condemning him for his position, as some in his party have when it’s come to Republicans, I commend Congressman Donnelly for his support of life.” 
 
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 reset Advisor: Romney rejects rape remark Mourdock remarks on rape 
 
 The NRSC’s decision to stand by Mourdock contrasts with its initial decision to drop support for Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin after he said pregnancies couldn’t result from “legitimate rape.” The NRSC later indicated it was reconsidering that position. Most other Republicans were united in their condemnation of Akin. 
 
 In a debate Tuesday night with Rep. Donnelly, the Democratic candidate in the race, Mourdock said while he supported an exception in abortion bans for the life of the mother, he couldn’t support a rape exception. 
 
 “I just struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize: Life is that gift from God that I think even if life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen,” said Mourdock, Indiana’s state treasurer. ||||| The Democratic National Committee is seizing the opportunity to batter Mitt Romney over his endorsement of Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock, who's under fire for having said in a debate last night that even pregnancies that come from rape are intended by God. 
 
 The DNC released a video splicing together clips of Mourdock's debate statement with a TV ad Romney recorded endorsing him, and footage of a Romney campaign stop with Mourdock last spring. 
 
 “Mitt Romney has made only one ad endorsing a Senate candidate in this election. On Monday he released that ad — for Richard Mourdock. Here's what Mourdock said the very next day,” the video says, playing Mourdock's debate comments. “Mitt Romney: extremely conservative to this day.” 
 
 The Romney team has already said that the Republican "disagrees with" Mourdock's comments, and it remains to be seen how much traction the Mourdock comments gain nationally. But they're at the very least an unwelcome distraction at a moment in the campaign when Romney would have wanted total control over a message that has nothing to do with abortion. 
 
 Read more about: Democratic National Committee, Mitt Romney, Indiana, Richard Mourdock, 2012 Elections ||||| Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock on Wednesday defended and sought to his explain his remark that pregnancy resulting from rape can be "something that God intended," as party leaders carefully responded to the incident. 
 
 Mourdock made the comment when asked during a debate Tuesday whether abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest. 
 
 "I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen," Mourdock said. 
 
 The candidate explained afterward that he was referring to pregnancy, and nothing else. 
 
 "I made a comment that I made quite honestly from the deepest roots and the greatest base of my faith which is to say that I believe life is precious. I believe that to the marrow of my bones. I believe that life itself is the greatest gift that God can give us," he said, adding: "I absolutely abhor violence. I abhor any kind of sexual violence. I abhor rape." 
 
 Mourdock went on to express regret for his phrasing. 
 
 "If because of the lack of clarity in my words that they came away with an impression other than those that I stated a moment ago -- that life is precious and that I abhor violence and I am confident God abhors violence and rape -- if they came away with any impression other than that, I truly regret it and I apologize if they came away." 
 
 Republicans leaders were divided in their response to the controversy. 
 
 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney distanced himself from the statement. 
 
 "Gov. Romney disagrees with Richard Mourdock's comments, and they do not reflect his views," spokeswoman Andrea Saul told Fox News. 
 
 A campaign source, though, said they have not asked the campaign to pull an ad featuring Romney, making clear the Republican nominee still supports him despite disagreements with Mourdock over exceptions for cases of rape and incest in their anti-abortion position. 
 
 Republican New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte also cancelled a trip to Indiana after the remark. "She disagrees with Treasurer Mourdock's comments, which do not represent her views," an aide said. 
 
 Mourdock is facing Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly in the Senate race. 
 
 The comment comes after Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin said in August that women's bodies have ways of preventing pregnancy in cases of what he called "legitimate rape." Akin has repeatedly apologized but has refused to leave his race despite calls to do so by leaders of his own party, including Romney. 
 
 Sen. John Cornyn, head of the Republicans' Senate campaign arm, effectively cut off Akin after that comment. However, Cornyn defended Mourdock on Wednesday. 
 
 "Richard and I, along with millions of Americans -- including even Joe Donnelly -- believe that life is a gift from God. To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous," Cornyn said in a statement. 
 
 Mourdock's comments shake Republicans as they try to gain a majority in the Senate. 
 
 Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz described Mourdock's comments as "outrageous and demeaning to women" and called on Romney to take his pro-Mourdock ad off the air. 
 
 "Enough is enough. The Republican Party needs to stop the coddling and take a stand against the horribly offensive and dangerous views of the Tea Party and their extreme candidates," said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. 
 
 The Associated Press contributed to this report.
– Not surprisingly, Richard Mourdock and the Republican Party are experiencing quite a bit of fallout from the Indiana Senate candidate's comments last night at a debate, in which he said "God intended" pregnancies from rape to happen. The latest: The Democratic National Committee was quick to jump all over Mitt Romney, who just released a TV ad endorsing Mourdock this week. In a new DNC video, that ad is spliced together with Mourdock's comments, Politico reports. The DNC claims Mourdock is the only Senate candidate Romney has endorsed. A spokesperson for President Obama's campaign said today that the president "felt those comments were outrageous and demeaning to women." She also called it "perplexing" that Romney had not demanded his ad for Mourdock be taken off TV, the New York Times reports. But senior Romney adviser Bay Buchanan did go on MSNBC today to distance the GOP nominee from Mourdock's comments, Politico reports. "The governor’s position on this is long-standing. He’s against abortion except in cases of rape or incest, and of course, the life of the mother," she said. "He disagrees entirely with what the Senate candidate said." Sen. John Cornyn, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is in Mourdock's corner, saying in a statement today that even Mourdock's Democratic opponent believes "life is a gift from God," and that that was all Mourdock was trying to say, Politico adds. The NRSC may be standing behind Mourdock, but the Republican Party is split—Rep. Mike Pence, and Sens. Scott Brown and Kelly Ayotte have denounced Mourdock's statement. Mourdock walked back his comments almost immediately, but has since issued a longer apology, Fox News reports. "If because of the lack of clarity in my words [people] came away with an impression other than those that I stated a moment ago—that life is precious and that I abhor violence and I am confident God abhors violence and rape—if they came away with any impression other than that, I truly regret it and I apologize," he said.