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Fox News:

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Ben Carson apologized Wednesday for saying homosexuality was a lifestyle choice. "I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation," Carson said on his Facebook page late Wednesday afternoon. "I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive. For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended."

Carson, a neurosurgeon, was attempting to clarify comments he made earlier in the day to Chris Cuomo on CNN's "New Day" show. "A lot of people who go into prison go into prison straight—and when they come out, they're gay," Carson told Cuomo. "So, did something happen while they were in there? Ask yourself that question."

Carson will no longer pretend "to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation." So he apparently still believes that some people go to prison straight, start gaying it up behind bars, and choose to keep gaying it up after they're released. But that's just some people. Other people choose to be gay for other reasons: to cut down on the number of invitations they receive to family events, to achieve a deeper appreciation of the American musical theater, to access low-cost, free-range protein supplements, etc.

Last night, Carson went on Sean Hannity's radio show and tried to pin the blame on CNN: Ben Carson—who is literally a brain surgeon—didn't say something stupid. How could he do that? The man is literally a brain surgeon. No, no: CNN "chopped" the interview up and edited the interview down so that it "emphasized" the parts that made Ben Carson, Brain Surgeon, look like an idiot. Carson told Hannity that he had learned an important lesson: "For certain networks, never do a pre-taped interview. Always do it live." But Carson's CNN interview, while pre-taped, hadn't been edited:

Hannity agreed with Carson that pre-taped interviews allow for quotes to be taken out context or reshuffled in order to cast them in a certain light... The problem with Carson’s attempt to play victim here is that, during that sequence of the CNN interview, there were clearly no jump-cuts and no edits—just a straight back-and-forth about whether homosexuality is a choice. Playing this off with a “gotcha media vs. poor ol’ Ben Carson” spin isn’t exactly going to cut it. Sometimes your words are just your words.

Yesterday Carson also told Hannity that he was done talking about gay rights:

“I simply have decided I’m not going to really talk about that issue anymore, because every time I gain momentum, the liberal press says, ‘let’s talk about gay rights.’ I’m just not going to fall for that anymore.”

This pledge isn't sitting well with the antigay right-wing bigots whose support Ben Carson will need if he hopes to get anywhere in the GOP primaries. They love talking about gay rights, gay marriage, and gay sex. A selection of the angry comments posted at Free Republic:

Why apologize??? Ugh! — posted on 3/4/2015, 5:07:03 PM by ConservativeMan55

I apologize, what I meant to say is all faggots must be exterminated. — posted on 3/4/2015, 5:22:35 PM by Rome2000

Palin never apologizes. — posted on 3/4/2015, 5:28:16 PM by rabidralph

He’s off of my list. Damn! No one left anymore with courage? Screw him. — posted on 3/4/2015, 5:54:22 PM by x1stcav

Ben Carson is literally a brain surgeon.