In a sequel to is "Restoring Honor" rally that took place in Washington last year, media personality Glenn Beck is planning to hold a "Restoring Courage" rally in Jerusalem, Israel. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is not pleased.
Maddow's beef apparently stems from the belief that Beck's presence in the Middle East will somehow upset the carefully crafted maneuvers that President Barack Obama has made to bring peace to that troubled region.
"'What American export can be less helpful to the Middle East than that?' she asked.
"'Whatever your own politics around Israel and the Palestinians, everybody can agree that this moment in the Middle East is even more delicate than usual,' Maddow said. "It is time for deliberate calm, for a light touch.'"
"Last summer we set out to Restore Honor in Washington, DC. This summer it is time to Restore Courage. Taking a stand is not always easy, but now more than ever it is imperative that we live with conviction and do the right thing. It is time for us to courageously stand with Israel.
"I invite you to join me in Israel this summer to stand together and show the world what living a life of faith and honor really means. I invite you to join me in my quest to Restore Courage."
It seems somewhat less dire than Maddow's obvious fear that Beck wants to jump start the End Times. A hundred or so thousand people, probably mostly evangelical Christians and Orthodox Jews rallying in favor of courage and faith and no doubt clean living isn't the sort of thing to be alarmed about. Of course the local Muslim terrorists will be upset about it. But if it's not one thing, it'll be something else.
Glenn Beck may be a real life, latter day version of Howard Beal, the Mad Prophet of the Airwaves, but he is at least entertaining and occasionally wise. Besides, one commodity that the Middle East has in abundance is mad prophets. One might say that it is the birthplace of mad prophecy. One more is not going to make a difference.
