But isn't Craig a hypocrite? I'm not so sure. In the first place, Craig has denied he's homosexual. Aren't Democrats champions of the presumption of innocence? I realize this presumption generally only applies to criminal accusations, but liberals are always demanding that we also apply it to our discourse so that we can't even opine about one's culpability in a matter without violating the sacred presumption of innocence.

Remember how many of them objected to pundits' opinions -- pre-verdict -- that O.J. was guilty? So unless Democrats want to concede their own hypocrisy, they must assume Craig is not a homosexual since he denied it.

Besides, isn't it highly presumptuous to conclude that it's impossible for a homosexual to disapprove of homosexual marriage or other special rights for homosexuals?

Democrats might object that the presumption of innocence doesn't apply to Craig because he already pled guilty. But that's not a satisfactory answer since his plea didn't necessarily imply an admission that he solicited or engaged in homosexual activity.

But wait. Joan Walsh made it clear the presumption doesn't apply to Republicans. When Matthews, to his credit, challenged her for condemning Craig over the "longstanding rumors" of his homosexuality, she protested that the Idaho newspapers have documented Craig's pattern of behavior -- as if newspaper accounts override the presumption and as if such patterns (see: Bill Clinton) ordinarily matter to liberals like Walsh.

But more troubling than any of the above are liberals' efforts to make GOP hypocrisy an "impeachable" offense. Even worse is their exploitation of the Craig episode to undermine society's preservation of moral standards under the staggeringly ludicrous reasoning that sinners (read: everyone) are disqualified from condemning sin. This is nothing short of a prescription for wholesale anarchy and the disintegration of our moral fabric: Judges couldn't be judges, legislators couldn't legislate, prosecutors couldn't prosecute, pastors, priests, and rabbis couldn't serve. Worst of all: Columnists couldn't sermonize.

As for me, I won't lose any sleep over Craig's departure because I happen to believe his guilty plea points to his culpability on the underlying charge to which he did not plead -- and I'm not bound by liberals' selective demands that we expand the presumption of innocence to preclude the airing of our opinions of guilt.