Something I Should Have Done Long Ago…

Now is as good a time as any.

Given that, at least for now, I am throwing my support behind the yet-to-officially-announce Fred Thompson, and more importantly, given the following statement by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice before the Senate Appropriations committee (5/12/2005):

Mr. Chairman, before I begin my actual testimony, I want to speak directly to Muslims in America and throughout the world. Disrespect for the Holy Koran is not now, nor has it ever been, nor will it ever be, tolerated by the United States. We honor the sacred books of all the world's great religions. Disrespect for the Holy Koran is abhorrent to us all.

I am officially renouncing any support for Ms. Rice, for any elected office. CondiBlogs (which appears to be defunct now, anyway) is no longer linked from this site.

With all due respect, the United States is governed by the Constitution, the First Amendment to which protects the most basic and fundamental rights of a free society: the right to free speech, political expression, and practice of religion. Therefore, this most fundamental freedom of our society demands that the United States tolerate disrespect for the Koran - or, any other statement of political, social, philosophical, or religious belief.

Besides, the ideas espoused by the "holy" Koran are themselves disrespectful (of Jews, Christians, polythiests, and all other "infidels" who do not submit to Islam), abhorrent (killing and enslaving innocent women and children, forcible marriage and rape of women, dismemberment, beheading and torture of infidels, etc.), and entirely unacceptable in a free society.

If Ms. Secretary cannot understand these truths, I cannot support her, in any capacity.