Consistency of the Week

In the Republican presidential debate on May 3rd, Tommy Thompson, the former Secretary of the Department of Health & Human Services, provided this response to a question regarding an employer's right to terminate a homosexual employee: "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."

According to Thompson, he misinterpreted the question because he (1) lost his hearing in one ear and the battery for his other ear was dead, (2) urgently needed to use the restroom and (3) was suffering from both the flu and bronchitis. Well, it is comforting to know that Thompson, who is also the former Governor of Wisconsin, has three good reasons for his supposed error. However, please keep in mind that, at a conference organized by the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in April of this year, Thompson offended the audience by stating that "I'm in the private sector and for the first time in my life I'm earning money. You know that's sort of part of the Jewish tradition and I do not find anything wrong with that." What was Thompson's excuse for these comments? He was apparently suffering from fatigue and a persistent cold. You would think that a former Secretary of Health & Human Services would still have some connections and avoid being sick all of the time.