Speaking to the altered ideological climate in the Senate, where his nomination to the Supreme Court 20 years ago was confirmed 98-0, Justice Antonin Scalia - widely known then, as now, as a conservative - asked stunningly in a recent discussion at the National Archives whether if nominated today he would be confirmed at all.

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If one is old enough to die for his country, goes a tedious line, he ought to be able to buy a legal drink. So Vermont's legislature is considering a measure that would make it the first state to lower the 21-year-old drinking age to 18. That way, of course, Vermont would make more sense to everybody - and the Army, which has failed to make its recruiting goals ("The problem is that no one wants to join," says one recruiter) for three months running, would sign up more recruits, particularly Vermonters who consume a lot of dubious logic.

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A final note - on infusing public television and radio with "objectivity and balance," as stipulated in the charter of its overseeing entity, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The corporation oversees the dispensation of hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to government radio and TV. Corporation Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson notes: "I frankly feel at PBS headquarters there is a tone deafness to issues of tone and balance." Will anyone seriously contend that if Tomlinson were asking public broadcasting to be fairer to the left than to moderates and conservatives, he would be blasted - as he amply is blasted now - for comments that have a "chilling effect" and threaten public broadcasting's editorial independence?