One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video: President Obama On Tonight Show, "Rape Is Rape... It's A Crime"
President Barack Obama appeared on The Tonight Show last night and host Jay Leno asked him a range of questions, from the debates to Donald Trump's big non-announcement. The biggest audience reaction, though, came when Leno asked about Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdouck's comment about abortion being unacceptable even in the case of rape, because the pregnancy is "something God intended to happen."
The Mitt Romney-endorsed Republican had said, "The only exception I have to have an abortion is in that case of the life of the mother. 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 God intended to happen." Obama told Leno, "I don't know how these guys come up with these ideas...rape is rape. It is a crime. These various distinctions about rape don't make too much sense to me, don't make any sense to me."
He further emphasized, "This is exactly you don't want a bunch of politicians—mostly male—making decisions about women's healthcare," to loud cheers. Obama continued, "Women are capable of making these decisions in consultation with their partners, with their doctors—and for politicians to want to intrude in this stuff oftentimes without any information is a huge problem. And this obviously is part of what's at stake in this election."
And when asking about Trump, Leno said he didn't get the animosity, "It's like me and Letterman." Obama then explained the origins of their spat:
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
