Finally, a superhero

The economy is in the dumps. The war in Iraq is dragging on (and on and on). The Bush administration has pretty well worn out its welcome. Suffice it to say, things are pretty gloomy in this country right now. The stage was set for a superhero's entrance, and we sure did get one. Michael Phelps has obliterated world record after world record. He's shattered U.S. Olympic medal records. He's made the best swimmers in the world look like a YMCA campers. And he's done it all with a humility that makes me tear up just thinking about it. Yes, NBC has overdone Phelps coverage more than just a bit and has shown his weepy mother waaaaaaay too much. But Phelps has made me -- a rather indifferent patriot -- proud to be from the United States. That's a feat within itself.