Mitt Romney said today Rep. Todd Akin's controversial comments on rape are "insulting."

Romney, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee told National Review Online this morning that Akin's comments on rape are also "inexcusable and, frankly, wrong."

"What he said is entirely without merit and he should correct it," the GOP presidential nominee is quoted as saying.

STORY: Rep. Todd Akin on rape

Akin, the GOP Senate nominee in Missouri, said women's bodies can prevent pregnancies in the case of "legitimate rape." He later said he "misspoke" in his "off-the-cuff remarks" in response to a question about whether he supports abortions for women who have been raped.

Here is Akin's full quote to St. Louis TV station KTVI:

It seems to me first of all from what I understand from doctors that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.

A trio of Republicans running for the U.S. Senate -- Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Rep. Jeff Flake in Arizona and Rep. Denny Rehberg in Montana -- criticized Akin's rape comments. Brown, who is locked in a tight race for re-election, called on Akin to step aside as Missouri's Senate nominee.

"As a husband and father of two young women, I found Todd Akin's comments about women and rape outrageous, inappropriate and wrong. There is no place in our public discourse for this type of offensive thinking," said Brown, who shares a political consultant with Romney.

Romney's comments to National Review Online followed a campaign statement in which Romney and running mate Paul Ryan distanced themselves from Akin, a six-term House member.

"Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan disagree with Mr. Akin's statement, and a Romney-Ryan administration would not oppose abortion in instances of rape," said campaign spokeswoman Amanda Henneberg.

The joint statement today is interesting because of stands Ryan, as a member of Congress from Wisconsin, has taken on abortion. Ryan has opposed abortion in all instances except to save the life of the woman, according to the Journal Sentinel in Wisconsin.

Romney, who has been criticized for flip-flopping on abortion, opposes abortion except in instances of rape and incest.

Democrats today are already trying to tie the GOP presidential ticket to Akin, who is running against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill in one of the nation's hottest Senate races. The outcome of the Missouri race could help decide which party controls the Senate.

"Now, Akin's choice of words isn't the real issue here. The real issue is a Republican party -- led by Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan -- whose policies on women and their health are dangerously wrong," said Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

McCaskill, who is seeking her second Senate term, said on MSNBC today that Akin's remarks were especially painful for her because she helped women who were raped when she was a sex crimes prosecutor in Kansas City.

"I think frankly, like most women, when we heard the statement, it was, 'Are you kidding?' It was a stunner, just jaw dropping and hard to comprehend," McCaskill said.