A bold stance, but then he went and apologized for it.

LOS ANGELES (CNN)—Republican presidential candidate Tommy Thompson apologized Friday morning for saying in last evening’s debate that private employers should be allowed to fire gay employees because of their sexual preference.

Thompson was asked by the moderator: “If a private employer finds homosexuality immoral, should he be allowed to fire a gay worker?”

The former Wisconsin governor answered: “I think that is left up to the individual business. I really sincerely believe that that is an issue that business people have got to make their own determination as to whether or not they should be.” The moderator appeared a bit startled: “OK, so the answer is yes?” Thompson replied, “Yes.”

Sounds pretty straight forward to me.  I know, from the perspective of the left, employers shouldn’t be able to just pick and choose who they hire.  It sometimes seems like they’d prefer that an employer hire every single applicant who walks through their door and pay that applicant, at least, a government-mandated arbitrary wage.  Which is nonsense.  Just as employees can pick and choose where they want to work, employers should be able to pick and choose who they want working for them.  And if the employer discriminates, well then he/she should face the consequences (smaller worker pool, bad publicity, etc.) that goes along with it.

That’s how freedom works.  And yes, while discrimination isn’t a good thing, it is part of freedom.

Unfortunately Tommy Thompson backed down from this common sense stance to placate the PC goons:

In a telephone interview from O’Hare Airport, Thompson told “American Morning” that he “misinterpreted” the question and should have asked to have it repeated.

“That’s never been my position,” Thompson said, said adding that discrimination isn’t acceptable.

Except that it clearly is his position, else he wouldn’t have answered the question the way he did.

He’d have done better just to stand by his original position.