OK, I apologize that I haven't written anything of length lately. Let's just say that life has taken me on a series of twists and turns and I've been otherwise occupied. Of course, that doesn't keep me from reading though.

Keith Olbermann of MSNBC

I have to admit that I lost track of Keith Olbermann shortly after he left ESPN. He was after all a mildy amusing, somewhat dry sports talking head. Now I love sports, but can't say I gave him much thought after I got the scores and headlines. Surprisingly, he's now a political commentator! Even more surprising, he presents a pretty well thought out argument most days.

In light of the Bush administration's barely reported castration of basic civil liberties, Olbermann's column is especially pointed. Didn't feel the blade as it sliced through your private areas? Neither did most of America. What is it? The Military Commissions Act of 2006.

In short, what does it mean? If the government decides anyone, US citizen or not, is an enemy combatant or somehow aids or abets suspected terrorists, they may be arrested, indefinitely detained without charges being filed or access to counsel, and may be subjected to an interpretation of the Geneva Convention so loose it may as well be Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. As a matter of fact, according to our all warm and fuzzy Attorney General Antonio Gonzalez, a detainee may be tortured or "forcefully interrogated" up to the point of bodily organ failure.

Tell me, seriously now, does anyone in the Bush administration pay attention to history? Habeus Corpus, in Latin "you shall have the body," means that you must have a substantive reason to arrest and detain a citizen and that charges must be filed within a reasonable period. Hello? Major beef with the British before the Revolutionary War. A Bill of Rights freedom guaranteed by the constitution. Geez.

OK, how about the Geneva Convention? After the atrocities of WWI when over 8.5 million people died in a horrible war, we decided to try to at least make war a little more humane by protecting some of the basic human rights that everyone regardless of race, creed, color, or nationality is entitled to if captured. How can taking the high road ever be bad. Yet again, Bush yields the moral high ground by stooping as low as those he says are so bad. Frankly, this entire administration makes me sick.

This is 9th grade Civics, folks, and apparently King George can't be bothered with law. Apparently, King George has begun to believe he has a divine right like previous divinely-appointed kings like the Czars and any number of French despots. The Constitution, which should serve as the Bible for our secular government, isn't good enough for Georgie. Oops, does that make me an enemy combatant?

My son recently told me about an assignment he wrote about 9/11. After an intense radical period, he's mostly stepped away from politics and adopted almost a detached bemusement. Needless to say, I was interested in his perspective then. His point was laser beam focused: After the Towers fell, we said we'd be different, we'd be better, we'd step up as a nation. What happened? We're more afraid, less caring, and generally numb about what happens to us as a nation.

Frankly, he couldn't be more right. What happened to the generation that was going to change the world? As Olbermann said, they may have been distracted by Dancing with the Stars.

Note: The title of this entry is taken from a David Crosby song, Lady of the Harbor found on his Oh Yes I Can album. What a fine song about what it is to be an American!