Hugh Hewitt thinks he’s done a Durbin, and I’m inclined to agree. Suggesting the U.S. bomb Mecca in retaliation for a nuclear terrorist attack on American soil was a dumb thing to say on many fronts. Not only this particular response be immoral, it would also be counter-productive. If the current conflict is not a war between civilizations, incinerating Mecca would instantly turn it into one. I am not opposed to retaliation for terrorist attacks — far from it — but such retaliation should be targeted at those responsible and serve strategic ends. Flying B-1s over Mecca would be neither.

Having heard a tape of the show, it’s not too late for Tancredo to undo the damage. It wasn’t a considered response; he was clearly thinking off the top of his head. So now is the time for him to come out and say something like: “What I meant was that the U.S. should make clear that it will retaliate for any terrorist attack on U.S. soil, but upon consideration it’s clear that bombing Mecca would not be an appropriate response and I regret suggesting otherwise.” That would make this all go away real fast.