On his syndicated radio show last night, conservative talker Hugh Hewitt asked listeners to forgo marches between now and November, imploring them instead to donate that money to “candidates who support the right things.” Hewitt said: “I know some of you are planning on going to marches between now and then. I sure wouldn't spend a dollar on going to a march. I really wouldn't. That's money. That's real, cash money that could be given to a candidate.” Hewitt listed various Republican candidates to give money to including Texas Gov. Rick Perry, “a great governor,” and Jane Norton of Colorado, whom he has especially endorsed.

But the most important conservative rally all year is Glenn Beck's upcoming “historic” Restoring Honor Rally on August 28 -- well, at least from Beck's perspective. For the past few months, we've been treated to the relentless refrain that this march -- this "turning point" in American history, rather -- “will be remembered as the moment America turned the corner." This is not just a “rally,” you see; this is going to be “an iconic event” that will “reclaim the civil rights movement.” Keep the rally "in your prayers," he has even asked.

Beck has gone so far as to compare the event to Martin Luther King and his “I have a dream” speech, asserting that it is “divine providence” the rally is scheduled to be held on the same day as King's speech in 1963. But he has emphatically denied that he is "hijacking" King's legacy -- no matter that he repeatedly co-opted King's words to promote himself -- stressing instead that he plans to “salute Dr. King and the civil rights movement.”

Either Hewitt's not listening to Beck or he disagrees with Beck that this rally “is something you will read about and say, 'Oh, man, I wish I were there.' ” On his show, Hewitt, who has attended and spoken at past rallies for conservative candidates, explained his reasons for disabusing people to attend rallies, saying, “OK, you could spend 250 bucks and go to a march or you could send that to Rick Perry -- make sure that a great governor of Texas stays a great governor in Texas. You could spend $500 flying back and forth to Washington, D.C., or you could send that money to John Kasich in Ohio or Rob Portman in Ohio or Jane Norton in Colorado.” Hewitt continued: “I'm not a big fan of spending moneys on rallies in election years. I am in off years.”