Rand Paul: Women winning 'War on Women'

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Sunday that women are winning the so-called "War on Women," and that political rhetoric from the left that paints Republicans as anti-women prevents lawmakers from working on policies that help move the country forward.

"The whole thing of 'The War on Women,' I sort of laughingly say, 'Yeah, there might have been -- but the women are winning it,'" the potential 2016 Republican presidential contender said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"Over half of the young people in medical school and dental school are women, law school the same way. I think women are doing very well, and I'm proud of how far we've come. And I think some of the victimology and all of this other stuff is trumped up. We don't get to any good policy by playing some sort of charade that somehow one party doesn't care about women or one party is not in favor of women advancing."

He was responding to a question from CNN's Candy Crowley, who had asked him about former GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's controversial comments last week.

Huckabee said at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committee: "If the Democrats want to insult the women of America by making them believe that they are helpless without Uncle Sugar coming in and providing for them a prescription each month for birth control because they cannot control their libido or their reproductive system without the help of the government, then so be it -- Let's take that discussion all across America."

Crowley asked whether Paul thinks Republicans need to address their "words and tone" when reaching out to women and minorities.

"Somewhat," Paul said. "And I think also a lot of the debates we have in Washington and in the public, generally, are dumbed down. They're mischaracterized and we get to the point where we're talking about stuff and throwing stuff back and forth and we're never getting to the truth."