There was a very strange moment during Rush Limbaugh's radio program this afternoon. Rush, who on Monday caused a small media firestorm by sarcastically praising President Barack Obama (leading some of the more gullible members of the media to believe him), attempted to fuel the flames of conspiracy theorists who believe Osama bin Laden's death Sunday night was faked. 

"I am convinced that bin Laden is dead," Limbaugh told his 20 million listeners. "I just don't know that he died Sunday night." 

After saying this, Limbaugh started to laugh. 

"My staff is going nuts. They can't believe that I would do this," he said.

He then appeared to back off the statement:  

"I'm just toying with you folks," he said. 

But then Limbaugh returned to the conspiracy. He said he believes that bin Laden was actually killed at Tora Bora in 2002. He said a source told him that bin Laden was seen on horseback right before the U.S. assault on his compound there. 

"I don't believe the guy's alive. I thought he's been dead for a long, long, long time," Limbaugh said. 

But then, once again, he backed off the claim. Limbaugh said he would be proven wrong if bin Laden had, indeed, died Sunday. 

"Do you feel better now, staff?" he asked. 

This is Limbaugh's modus operandi: He floats wild, unfounded conspiracy theories out to stir up the imaginations of his 20 million listeners -- and then casually backs away from them, saying he was joking or "toying" with the audience.