"I am deeply disappointed the Republican Party seems poised to select a nominee who did not support a Constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage, voted for embryonic stem-cell research to kill nascent human beings, opposed tax cuts that ended the marriage penalty, has little regard for freedom of speech, organized the Gang of 14 to preserve filibusters in judicial hearings, and has a legendary temper and often uses foul and obscene language.

"I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative, and in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has sounded at times more like a member of the other party. McCain actually considered leaving the GOP caucus in 2001, and approached John Kerry about being Kerry's running mate in 2004. McCain also said publicly that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. Given these and many other concerns, a spoonful of sugar does NOT make the medicine go down. I cannot, and will not, vote for Sen. John McCain, as a matter of conscience.

"But what a sad and melancholy decision this is for me and many other conservatives. Should Sen. McCain capture the nomination as many assume, I believe this general election will offer the worst choices for president in my lifetime. I certainly can't vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama based on their virulently anti-family policy positions. If these are the nominees in November, I simply will not cast a ballot for president for the first time in my life. These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated. They do reflect my deeply held convictions about the institution of the family, about moral and spiritual beliefs, and about the welfare of our country."

[Emphasis added] The statement was included as part of a larger post by FOFA's "Citizenlink Staff."

The posting went on to say:

Dr. Dobson's statement speaks for itself," said Gary Schneeberger, vice president of media relations for Focus on the Family Action. "He made it as a private citizen, and it reflects his personal opinion of Sen. McCain's candidacy and record. People can read into it what they like; all I see is his own personal 'straight talk' regarding why he can't vote for one candidate."

Around noon today, Dr. Dobson talked to national talk-show host Dennis Prager. While he made it clear he was not endorsing anyone, he did say he would vote for former Gov. Mitt Romney -- a Mormon -- if he wins the Republican nomination:

"My theology is very, very different, obviously, and I would not find myself in agreement with the ways he sees Scripture, and, of course, their own interpretation and extension of Scripture. I'm not in any way minimizing that; it's a very important issue.

"I think we're facing such a point of crisis in our country, that we're going to have to have the strongest leadership we can. And I think I could deal with that in the polling booth."

(Of course all this may be moot, since Romney has announced that he has "suspended" campaigning. Will he return? Stay tuned.)

Focus on the Family Action is a political arm of the tax-emept Focus on the Family. But Dobson insists that

These decisions are my personal views and do not represent the organization with which I am affiliated.

But when his staff the features his views on the on Focus on the Family Action web site -- it seems to me that Dobson is making a distinction without a difference. The staff felt compelled to add:

(NOTE: Dr. Dobson made these statements as a private citizen. This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a reflection of the opinions of Focus on the Family or Focus on the Family Action.)

Odd. To borrow from Hamlet: Methinks he doth protest too much.

Meanwhile, lest anyone think that Dobson and Focus on the Family Action are sitting out the election, another article on the site announced:

Dr. Dobson Seeks to Enlist 1 Million Values Voters

Focus on the Family Founder and Chairman Dr. James Dobson invites values voters to pledge to uphold pro-family principles during this year's election.

In response to the media's efforts to minimize the impact of values voters, Dr. Dobson and Focus on the Family Action are initiating a nationwide Values Voter Pledge. The pledge is a statement by citizens who are committing to vote only for candidates who uphold the highest pro-life, pro-faith and pro-family principles.

Focus Action is hoping 1 million voters will take the pledge, which will serve as a demonstration of the strength and seriousness of Values Voters in this election.

"I want to show the media, the pundits and the candidates that values voters are serious about their civic responsibilities this year," Dr. Dobson said.

But then maybe he was just speaking as an individual and not on behalf of the organization.