Submitted for your approval: the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. He was held captive in Afghanistan for five years and released Saturday. First, euphoria. A hero is coming home. No soldier left behind. Now, allegations of circumventing law, treason, and desertion.
President Obama okayed the trade of Bergdhal for five terrorists sitting at Guantanamo. Republicans cried foul, and now even some Democrats have joined the chorus. If that isn't enough, there are allegations Bergdahl was AWOL.
Congress will hold hearings. There have already been news conferences, and the cable networks are really going to town.
All I can say right now is reserve judgement because all the facts aren't in, and that likely won't happen for a while.
On a much lighter and totally unrelated note, I've really done a turn around on Keith Olbermann. At each of his previous professional stops, he seemed like a talented, but miserable, SOB. The MSNBC and Current shows were unwatchable. They were personal agenda driven. Plus, Olbermann was so overwhelmingly nasty, I couldn't imagine anyone spending any time watching him. Any time I saw Keith Olbermann on TV, my finger couldn't hit the remote fast enough.
Several months ago, Olbermann signed on to do a late night sports show on ESPN2. It's well produced, and well done. Olbermann seems relaxed and dare I say, happy. It's not just a good sports show. It's a good television show. It's standard stuff-- highlights and interviews. There's the classic Olbermann wry twist, plus he has a tremendous sense of history. The interview segments aren't rushed, and he has the time to ask good questions and converse with his guests.
Unfortunately, Keith Olbermann has a self destruct mechanism. I hope I'm wrong, but a big part of me worries that it's only a matter of time before it kicks in.
