July 15, 2015 · USA Today

Obama implies claims against Cosby amount to rape

President Obama responds to calls for Bill Cosby's medal of Presidential freedom which he was awarded in 2002 to be revoked in light of his pending sexual assault and rape charges and concessions. Cosby admitted to having given women prescription Quaaludes with the intention of engaging with sexual activity with them. President Obama asserted that such actions are rape and should not be tolerated, but that there is no mechanism to revoke the medal of freedom.

Subject	Rape--Public opinion
Creator	David Jackson
Source	USA Today
Publisher	USA Today
Date	2015-07-15

URL	http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/15/obama-cosby-medal-of-freedom-rape/30195711/ WASHINGTON â€” President Obama suggested Wednesday he cannot revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Bill Cosby, saying there is no precedent for such a step â€” but also saying the claims against the comedian would amount to rape. While declining to discuss the specifics of the Cosby case, Obama did say that drugging people and having sex with them shouldn't be tolerated. "I'll say this: if you give a woman â€” or a man, for that matter â€” without his or her knowledge, a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape," Obama said. "I think this country, any civilized country, should have no tolerance for rape." Obama prefaced that comment by saying "I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil issues involved." As for the Medal of Freedom â€” the nation's highest civilian honor â€” Obama said, "There is no precedent for revoking a medal. We don't have that mechanism." Obama made the remarks at a White House news conference that dealt mostly with questions about the recent nuclear deal with Iran. Victims' organizations and some lawmakers have called on Obama to revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Cosby. A petition is pending on the White House website. "We cannot yet give his accusers their day in court, but we can fight back in the court of public opinion," the petition said. President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Freedom to Cosby in 2002, citing his long career and his work on behalf of education and children's programming. In announcing the 2002 medal, the White House said Cosby "became one of the most popular television performers of the 1980s with the success of The Cosby Show, which revolutionized the portrayal of African Americans on television. Throughout his career, Dr. Cosby has appealed to the common humanity of his audience, rather than the differences that might divide it."

URL

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/07/15/obama-cosby-medal-of-freedom-rape/30195711/

WASHINGTON â€” President Obama suggested Wednesday he cannot revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Bill Cosby, saying there is no precedent for such a step â€” but also saying the claims against the comedian would amount to rape.

While declining to discuss the specifics of the Cosby case, Obama did say that drugging people and having sex with them shouldn't be tolerated.

"I'll say this: if you give a woman â€” or a man, for that matter â€” without his or her knowledge, a drug, and then have sex with that person without consent, that's rape," Obama said. "I think this country, any civilized country, should have no tolerance for rape."

Obama prefaced that comment by saying "I tend to make it a policy not to comment on the specifics of cases where there might still be, if not criminal, then civil issues involved."

As for the Medal of Freedom â€” the nation's highest civilian honor â€” Obama said, "There is no precedent for revoking a medal. We don't have that mechanism."

Obama made the remarks at a White House news conference that dealt mostly with questions about the recent nuclear deal with Iran.

Victims' organizations and some lawmakers have called on Obama to revoke the Presidential Medal of Freedom for Cosby. A petition is pending on the White House website.

"We cannot yet give his accusers their day in court, but we can fight back in the court of public opinion," the petition said.

President George W. Bush presented the Medal of Freedom to Cosby in 2002, citing his long career and his work on behalf of education and children's programming.

In announcing the 2002 medal, the White House said Cosby "became one of the most popular television performers of the 1980s with the success of The Cosby Show, which revolutionized the portrayal of African Americans on television. Throughout his career, Dr. Cosby has appealed to the common humanity of his audience, rather than the differences that might divide it."

Tags	national media
Date Added	July 16, 2015
Date Modifed	October 17, 2017

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