Yesterday's GOP debate did offer one moment worth noting that truly was a rare occasion: A Republican said he was all for legal discrimination against gays — but then quickly backed off and apologized for it. More after the jump.

The candidate was Tommy Thompson. Last night he was asked by debate moderator Chris Matthews if private business owners should be able to fire gay employees. Thompson's answer: "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."

But now Thompson is saying that he never meant to say any such thing, the Associated Press reports. He claims he misunderstood the question, and did not mean to approve of discrimination after all. "I made a mistake. I misinterpreted the question," Thompson said. "I didn't hear, I didn't hear the question properly and I apologize." It's unclear, of course, just how he might have misheard such a clear-cut question — and then responded with a seemingly clear-cut answer. What did he think was actually being said?

Either way, this is not Thompson's first gaffe in this campaign — he previously apologized for an intended compliment of Jews, in which he said that making money is a "part of the Jewish tradition." And now he has managed to offend every side on the gay rights issue: Those who disapprove of discrimination, plus those who approve of discrimination and won't like that he backed off of supporting it.