This exchange between Michael Scheuer —former head of the bin Laden unit and author of the brilliant Imperial Hubris —and the idiotic Bill Maher is a classic:

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Synopsis of the good part: Maher asks “Why are they trying to attack us?”—and then answers his own question, opining “As long as there’s an israel in the world, and I”€™m a big supoorter of Israel … they”€™re always going to be going after us.”

Scheuer: I disagree with you

Maher: Which part? Israel?

Yes, says Scheuer, I just don”€™t think it’s worth an American life or an American dollar. Not only Israel, but Saudi Arabia, Boliva, or any other country.

Oh, wails Maher, looking troubled—and genuinely puzzled—don’t you care about the survival of Israel?

I am most interested, replies Scheuer, in the survival of the United States.

[Strong applause followed by somewhat weaker boos]

Maher: But Israel is a democracy!

Scheuer: So what. Lots of countries are democracies…. It doesn”€™t matter if anyone ever votes again. We”€™ll get by just fine

Maher: I wouldn”€™t get by just fine.

Unimpressed by this brazen display of dual loyalty, Scheuer shot back that being “the unqualified sole supporter of Israel” has, at the moment, “earned us increasing pain, fighting wars that are not ours to fight.”

[More applause, followed by a few desperately loud boos]

The meme  is spreading …

Extra added bonus: He cites Ron Paul.

By the way, Maher avers that bin Laden’s approval ratings in Iraq and Afghanistan are way down, but never cites his source: Karen Hughes, who’s in charge of selling Bushian propaganda to the Muslim world. Anyone who takes her assertions at face value is probably still looking for Saddam’s “weapons of mass destruction.”