As I mentioned before, I'll be off the air the next 2-3 Sunday evenings, recovering from back surgery.  Be nice to my substitutes, and I'll be back later in August.

As we begin tonight in my new time slot, 7pm-9pm, we'll deal with the most contentious issues of our day which define us as Americans:

1:  It seems to be okay with the majority of you if police begin random searches of bags as you enter the subway, in New York, and maybe soon here in Washington, DC.  Is there any measure too extreme for you?  How far will you let this go before we don't recognize America anymore?

2:  And you seem to want to institute ethnic, religious or racial profiling to catch potential terrorists -- this after we've learned that the London police killed an innocent Brazilian man the suspected of being a suicide bomber.  Is this man's death just "collateral damage?"

3:  John Roberts appears to be headed towards easy confirmation as our newest Supreme Court Justice.  I've got one question:  Why won't he tell us where he stands on Roe vs. Wade, or in general, on this issue of abortion?  President Clinton told us where he stood on nominees -- why hasn't President Bush?  And Ruth Bader Ginsberg told us during her nomination hearings -- why won't Roberts?'

4:  Last, but not least -- why has a conservative Republican Senator, Sam Brownback, proposed giving your tax dollars to encourage people in DC to get married?

Changes are coming, folks.  Today is the last Sunday I'll be on the air in the Noon-3pm slot.  Next week, Sunday, July 24th, Chris Plante takes over this time period.  On that same day, I'll be moving to 7pm-9pm Sunday evenings.  But -- you won't hear me after July 24th for at least a few weeks, as I'm having back surgery which will lay me up for a while.  I'm telling you this now so that you don't think I've completely disappeared -- which, I promise, I haven't.

Now, as to today's show, expect a hard-hitting three hours.  I've got lots to say about the Karl Rove flap, and it's time to boil the whole Joe Wilson / Valerie Plame thing down to something we can all understand at its basic level.  What's it all about?  I'll make it very -- plain.

And we'll also talk about religious extremism, in light of the London bombings, and the fact that the perpetrators were apparently home-grown Brits, of Pakistani ancestry.  What does that tell us?

Also:  Is it time to get rid of the nickname of the Washington NFL team -- the Redskins?  And is it right for the Federal government to be banned from providing funds for the Boy Scouts?

Tune in -- I promise you a lively three hours.

It's not hard to figure out what should be on the table today for discussion --

1.  The terrorist bombing attacks in London.

2.  The pending Supreme Court battles.

But I've got lots more.  And perhaps a point or two on these that might surprise you.  Join me, won't you?