President Obama: ‘I don’t know what’s in Rush Limbaugh’s heart’

At his first solo press conference of 2012, President Barack Obama addressed the controversy over Rush Limbaugh's insulting of Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student who testified before Congress to advocate for free access to contraception.

"I don't know what's in Rush Limbaugh's heart, so I'm not going to comment on the sincerity of his apology," Obama said.

He added, "All decent folks can agree that the remarks that are made don't have any place in the public discourse," and said his phone call to Fluke, a Georgetown law student, was driven by his feelings for his daughters.

"I thought about Malia and Sasha, and one of the things I want them to do as they get older is to engage in issues they care about … and be able to speak their mind in a thoughtful and civil way," Obama said. "And I don't want them to be attacked, or called horrible names," for trying to be "good citizens."

White House aides deny that the timing of the press conference aims to overshadow Super Tuesday voting in the Republican presidential nominating battle.