In his column for The Hill and in a Fox News appearance , Dick Morris called for a “targeted shutdown” that would close certain agencies if Democrats do not capitulate to tea party demands on the budget and, more specifically, “zero-fund” the State Department.

Morris said such a move would be necessary to achieve conservatives' prized goal of stopping foreign aid.

But does Morris really not know that the State Department does more than provide foreign aid? Does he not know that if Congress defunds the State Department, it would shut down all of our overseas embassies and consulates, which are part of the department?

Does he not know that closing down the embassies and consulates would strand Americans abroad who are arrested on trumped-up charges in nations such as China?

Or does he know all this and just not care?