This is astonishing. Below is a video (via Jon Stewart) of a segment of Glenn Beck’s show. During the segment, Beck’s guest, a former CIA guy or something, says he wishes that Osama bin Laden would attack the US and kill many Americans. He makes this wish in order to push his foreign policy agenda, Stewart points out; it would force Obama to better protect us.

Hmm. If only we could put these guys in touch with the president directly, via TV or satellite or a lunch, or Twitter! Think about it, Mr. President. Let Osama bin Laden kill a lot of Americans in order to convince yourself to protect them better. Brilliant, huh?

Happy Fourth of July, by the way.

Question: does this not verge on shouting “fire!” in a crowded theater? It’s certainly incendiary. It’s definitely bent.

So what does Beck say? It’s so brilliant this idea, Beck essentially says, that Osama bin Laden probably wouldn’t go for it. Crap.