As we have noted before, Herman Cain is now trying to walk back his pledge not to allow Muslims to serve in his administration if he is elected president, claiming that what he meant was that he would refuse to hire radical Muslims.
And that is a point he keeps trying to sell:
[I]n an appearance on outgoing Fox News Channel show host Glenn Beck’s radio program Tuesday morning, Cain clarified the record and said his comments have been “misconstrued.”
“I immediately said – without thinking – ‘No, I would not be comfortable,’” Cain told Beck. “I did not say that I would not have them in my cabinet. If you look at my career, I have hired good people regardless of race, religion, sex gender, orientation and this kind of thing.”
Now let us compare that to what he told Bryan Fischer just last month:
I have been upfront, which ruffles some feathers, but remember Bryan, being politically correct is not one of my strong points; I come at it straight from the heart and straight from the way I see it. And the comment that I made the become controversial, and that my staff keeps hoping will die, is that I wouldn't have Muslims in my administration. And it's real simple: the Constitution does not have room for sharia law. I want people who are going to believe and enforce the Constitution of the United States of America. And so I don't have time, as President of the United States, to try and screen people based upon their religious beliefs - I really don't care what your religious beliefs are, but I do know that most of the people of the Muslim faith, they believe in sharia law. And to introduce that element as part of an administration when we have all of these other issues, I think I have a right to say that I won't.
He very clearly told Fischer that he would have a blanket ban on Muslims working for him because they support sharia, but told Beck the opposite.
If Cain prides himself on being so bold and willing to speak "straight from the heart," then why won't he defend his pledge not to allow Muslims to serve in his administration?