Mitt Romney is embracing his Massachusetts health care law in response to President Barack Obama’s attacks that Republicans have declared a ‘war on women.’ 
 
 “I’m the guy who was able to get all the health care for all the women and men for my state,” Romney said in an interview aired on 'Fox News Sunday.' “They were talking about it at the federal level. We actually did something and we did it without cutting Medicare and without raising taxes.” 
 
 Romney added that he was “very proud” of his signature on the 2006 law when he was governor of Massachusetts, while charging that Obama would cut more than $700 million from Medicare to pay for the Affordable Care Act. 
 
 The presumptive Republican presidential nominee invoked his work on health care in Massachusetts in response to a question about women's health issues -- a sore spot for Republicans after Missouri GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin’s “legitimate rape” remarks. President Barack Obama's campaign has been on offense on the Missouri lawmaker's statement for more than a week, but Romney noted that he's also urged Akin to drop out of the race against Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). 
 
 “Oh, I think it was a terrible statement on his part,” he said. “I think it was uninformed. I think it was outrageous and offensive." 
 
 “I think I have distanced myself from the kind of thing he said as far as I possibly can," Romney added. "He was wrong. And it’s obviously being used by Democrats to try to cast a shadow on our entire party and it’s not. Leaders of our party have pretty much unanimously said, 'Mr. Akin get out of the race. You’ve said something which is highly offensive.' ” 
 
 Asked if the Obama campaign would be effective in attaching Akin's name to the Romney-Paul Ryan ticket, Romney replied, “It really is sad, isn’t it? With all the issues that America faces, for the Obama campaign to continue to stoop to such a low level. They understand and they are wise enough to understand that people like myself who have asked him to get out of the race because we vehemently disagree with what he said and believe it hurts out party and I think is damaging to women.” 
 
 Read more about: Medicare, Abortion, Todd Akin, Mitt Romeny ||||| Mitt Romney would like to return to the public fundraising system if he's running for a second term in 2016. 
 
 “Oh, absolutely,” Romney said in a ‘Fox News Sunday’ interview when asked if he would prefer accepting federal matching funds and the limits that come with them should he win this November and then seek another term. 
 
 Romney said he took the alternative route because of President Barack Obama, who in 2008 was the first post-Watergate presidential candidate to “push aside federal spending limits and spend an unlimited amount based on what he raised.” 
 
 “To be competitive, we’re obviously following suit,” Romney said. “But I’d far rather have a setting where we had both agreed to the federal spending limits.” 
 
 "What he’s done has meant that both of us have to spend an inordinate amount of time fundraising," Romney added. "We can’t spend as much time on the campaign trail and frankly it increases the potential of money having an influence in politics. It’s really I think an outrageous decision on his part." 
 
 Romney also criticized Obama's allies for not speaking up against the Democrat when he bucked the public fundraising system in 2008. "Remarkably the more liberal voices that have been fighting for campaign finance reform have had almost nothing to say when their candidate was the one who blew up the achievements that have been made over the coming, over the past decade, or so," Romney said. 
 
 Obama has outraised and outspent Romney so far in the 2012 cycle, though the Republican is expected to best the president when it comes to money spent by outside groups backing his campaign. 
 
 Read more about: Barack Obama, Fundraising, Public Financing, Mitt Romeny ||||| Republicans have almost no chance of winning the Missouri Senate race with Todd Akin still in the race following his comments a week ago about “legitimate rape" rarely causing pregnancy, Sen. Marco Rubio said in an interview aired Sunday. 
 
 “As far as that particular race is concerned, absolutely, I believe his statements make it much more difficult, borderline impossible perhaps, for him to win that race,” Rubio said on CBS’ ‘Face the Nation.' “I think that’s been clearly communicated to him both publicly and privately by a whole host of voices so we’ll see what decision he makes going forward.” 
 
 Rubio added that he didn't think Akin's remarks will drag down Mitt Romney's bid for the White House despite Democratic efforts to tie the presumptive GOP presidential nominee with the Missouri Senate candidate. 
 
 But the Florida Republican senator said Akin's efforts could jeopardize the Republicans' chances of winning a Senate majority. "I think he's been informed of that," Rubio said, noting Rep. Paul Ryan's phone call to Akin urging him to exit the election. "Ultimately, he has to make the decision he feels is right. Everyone has informed him what the political consequences are." 
 
 Rubio noted that Republicans can’t give Akin the boot. “He won the primary,” Rubio said. “He’s going to have to make that decision. There’s no way to force him out of it.” 
 
 Akin has seen his chances drop dramatically against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill since making his remarks a week ago. A St. Louis Post-Dispatch/News 4 poll out Sunday had the Republican nine points behind McCaskill after he was previously beating her. 
 
 Appearing on 'Fox News Sunday,' Romney again called on Akin to get out of the Senate race, saying his remarks were “outrageous and offensive.” 
 
 Read more about: Abortion, Marco Rubio, Todd Akin ||||| Mitt Romney defended his foreign investments in an interview aired Sunday, noting that his personal finances have followed all U.S. laws and he got no special tax savings from a Swiss bank account. 
 
 “Well, first of all, there was no reduction, not one dollar reduction in taxes by virtue of having an account in Switzerland or a Cayman Islands investment,” the presumptive Republican presidential nominee said in a ‘"Fox News Sunday" interview. “The dollars of taxes remained exactly the same. There was no tax savings at all.” 
 
 Romney added that his blind trustee made decisions “entirely consistent with U.S. law and all the taxes paid were those legally owed and there was no tax savings by virtue of these entities.” 
 
 President Barack Obama’s campaign and Democrats have used Romney’s Swiss bank account and his other foreign financial dealings to portray the Republican as an out-of-touch businessman. The attacks have increased as Romney refuses to release more than two years of his personal tax returns. 
 
 Asked by Fox's Chris Wallace why he didn’t make moves earlier to skirt those political attacks, Romney insisted that he had nothing to hide. 
 
 “I could have said don’t make any investments in any foreign companies, in any foreign bonds, in any foreign currencies, only U.S. entities, and by the way don’t buy foreign products, don’t have any Japanese TVs or foreign cars, yeah, I could have done that,” Romney said. “But I did live my life. And I expect by virtue of disclosing all these things, people can take a look at that and see whether that’s something their comfortable with.” 
 
 “I’m not going to try to hide who I am and try to manipulate my life to try to avoid the truth,” Romney said. 
 
 Romney added that he wasn’t concerned about the Democrats’ efforts to attack him on the foreign aspects of his personal finances. 
 
 “I understand that’s what the Democrats and what the Obama people will do,” he said, adding that blind trusts often turn to foreign currencies. "That tends to be something investors do. But they’re trying to make it seem like it’s some unsavory action. And frankly all the taxes are paid exactly as owed and there was no tax savings by virtue of having that vehicle.” 
 
 Read more about: Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Tax Returns, Swiss Bank Account ||||| Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday dismissed any controversy over Mitt Romney's crack about President Barack Obama's birth certificate as "nothing" and called on the political class to learn to take a joke. 
 
 "I think it's a nothing," Priebus said on CNN's "State of the Union," nothing Romney has consistently said the president was born in Hawaii. 
 
 On Friday, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee referenced his birth certificate during a campaign rally in Commerce, Mich. 
 
 "Now I love being home in this place where Ann and I were raised, where both of us were born. Ann was born in Henry Ford Hospital. I was born in Harper Hospital,” he said. “No one’s ever asked to see my birth certificate. They know that this is the place that we were born and raised." 
 
 Democrats responded by accusing Romney of "directly enlisting" in the ranks of "birthers," people who falsely believe the president wasn't born in the United States and believe the birth certificate released by the White House last year is some type of forgery. 
 
 Priebus said Democrats and the media need to lighten up. 
 
 "Have we really gotten to the point where we can't have any levity at all in politics?" Priebus asked. "We have gotten to a place in politics that is just ridiculous. No one can say anything that's remotely humorous. The president makes jokes about this all the time." 
 
 Read more about: Barack Obama, Birthers, Mitt Romney, Reince Priebus, Birth Certificate ||||| A Gulf Coast landfall for Tropical Storm - or Hurricane - Isaac on Tuesday likely won't mean a halt to the Republican National Convention in Tampa Fla., RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said Sunday. 
 
 “No, I doubt that Chris, I think that the show is going to go on," Priebus told "Fox News Sunday" host Chris Wallace. "We’re going to get the business done at the RNC. We’re going to nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. We’re going to have a great time in Tampa." 
 
 The Republicans' decision to postpone Monday's events at the RNC "was done out of an abundance of cautious for our delegates and guests here in Tampa," Priebus said. But asked if the GOP would follow the precedent it set in 2008 when it delayed its convention in Minneapolis as Hurricane Gustav bore down on Louisiana, Priebus replied, “Obviously we’ve got to take it as it comes. We’re going to be nimble. We’re going to make sure we do the right thing. Safety first. And obviously we want to make sure that everyone, no matter where you are, is safe in this storm.” 
 
 Priebus said Republicans were meeting Sunday to rearrange their schedule, including the original plan Monday to paint a contrast with President Barack Obama. "We're going to be able to squeeze that in," he said. Republicans also don't regret scheduling a convention during hurricane season in Florida, noting other RNCs have been held in New Orleans, Miami and New York. 
 
 The National Hurricane Center projects Isaac to make landfall near Mobile Bay, Ala., on Tuesday. 
 
 UPDATE: Asked on CBS' 'Face the Nation' if the RNC could be canceled because of the approaching storm, Priebus replied, "No, we're 100 percent on." 
 
 Read more about: Reince Priebus, Republican National Convention, Republican National Convention 2012, Isaac, Tropical Storm Isaac ||||| Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Sunday Republicans can't build their party around a "personal" and "religious" issue like abortion. 
 
 "Mothers and daughters can disagree on abortion, and we shouldn't put a party around an issue that is so personal and also, religious-based," the retiring Republican senator said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I think we need to say, 'Here are our principles, and we welcome you as a Republican. We can disagree on any number of issues, but if you want to be a Republican, we welcome you." 
 
 Hutchison identifies as "pro-life," and has a mixed voting record on abortion rights. 
 
 The party's stance on abortion has come under scrutiny since Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) falsely said last week that women who are the victims of "legitimate rape" have biological defenses against pregnancy. On Tuesday, the GOP's platform committee approved an abortion plank without a rape exemption, which Democrats quickly dubbed the "Akin Plank." 
 
 Despite what the platform says, Hutchison said abortion rights supporters feel welcome in the GOP. 
 
 "A lot of people think the party platform is something that is rigid," she said. "It's not really." 
 
 Hutchison, who isn't running for reelection, joins Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) in warning the party about its abortion stance. Hutchison's likely successor in the Senate, former Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz, is an opponent of abortion rights. 
 
 CORRECTION: Kay Bailey Hutchison doesn't consider herself to be pro-choice. 
 
 Read more about: Abortion, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican National Convention 2012
– The GOP's luminaries descended on the Sunday talk shows ahead of their abbreviated convention in Tampa, with none other than Mitt Romney leading off with an interview on Fox, reports Politico. Addressing Team Obama's effort to link him to Todd Akin, Romney said: "It's really sad, isn't it? With all the issues that America faces, for the Obama campaign to continue to stoop to such a low level." Elsewhere from Romney's interview: On RomneyCare: He's "very proud. I’m the guy who was able to get all the health care for all the women and men for my state. They were talking about it at the federal level. We actually did something and we did it without cutting Medicare and without raising taxes.” On his offshore accounts: “I could have said don’t make any investments in any foreign companies, in any foreign bonds, in any foreign currencies, only US entities. But I did live my life. And I expect by virtue of disclosing all these things, people can take a look at that and see whether that’s something they're comfortable with." On taking public funding for an 2016 campaign: "Oh, absolutely. To be competitive (now), we’re obviously following suit. But I’d far rather have a setting where we had both agreed to the federal spending limits." And elsewhere from non-presumptive nominees: Jeb Bush on Obama's Dubya-bashing: "I think it's time for him to move on. I mean, look, the guy was dealt a difficult hand, no question about it. But he's had three years, his policies have failed. Rather than blame others, maybe offer some fresh solutions to the problems that we face. But that's not going to happen between now and Election Day." Marco Rubio on Todd Akin's chances: “I believe his statements make it much more difficult, borderline impossible perhaps, for him to win that race. I think that’s been clearly communicated to him both publicly and privately by a whole host of voices so we’ll see what decision he makes going forward.” Reince Priebus on Isaac shutting down the RNC: “I think that the show is going to go on. We’re going to get the business done at the RNC. We’re going to nominate Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan. We’re going to have a great time in Tampa." Priebus on Romney's birth certificate crack: "I think it's a nothing. Have we really gotten to the point where we can't have any levity at all in politics? No one can say anything that's remotely humorous. The president makes jokes about this all the time." Kay Bailey Hutchison on the GOP's abortion platform: "We shouldn't put a party around an issue that is so personal and also, religious-based. I think we need to say, 'Here are our principals, and we welcome you as a Republican. We can disagree on any number of issues, but if you want to be a Republican, we welcome you.'"