Bob, get out of New York. Go to Nebraska or Georgia or Texas; hang out at the mall, the Wal-Mart, the football game, the monster-truck rally. You’ll discover that most Americans – I’d guess about half – couldn’t care less about habeas corpus, assuming they even know what it is. If half of U.S. citizens can’t even rouse themselves to vote every couple years, then they damn sure won’t care about some “furrin” legal words.

As for the other half, at lease half of them love the idea, as long as it’s not their butt on the line. (Besides, Arar was one a them “socialistic” Canadians, and not even a “real” – that is, white European – Canadian, so why should they care.)

Forget the polls that say Bush is in trouble. That something like 40% of the U.S. can still support Bush, after so many blunders, after such stunning stupidity, shows that there a lot of really gullible, ignorant people out there.

There’s only one kind of poll that counts in this country – it’s called “voting” – and a majority of those who vote have proven, again and again, what their values are.

So, Bob, keep your assets liguid, your passport current, and that foreign condo in good shape. You’re gonna need ‘em.