We're in the process of trying out some new approaches to the Weekend Watchdog. One of them is this open thread, where we hope longtime "watchdogs" and the uninitiated will engage in sorting out what questions about which issues and news items from the past week this Sunday's yet-to-be announced guests should face.

Make your suggestions and pose your questions in the comments, and when the guests are announced this evening we may pick some of your questions for the Watchdog. Come back and check out our usual Weekend Watchdog post to see who's on the guest list and whether your question is on the Watchdog list. (If it is, you might contact the shows to suggest they ask your question. Invite your friends to join in. The more the merrier.)

Some of the more interesting items from this week's news include:

• A stunning loss for Republicans [1] in a Mississippi special Congressional election, that has the party worried about prospects for the Fall and beyond.
• The Republicans' attempt at rebranding [2] themselves as a "change" party pretty much got them laughed out of the room [3].
• President Bush's remarks at a celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary raised a storm of controversy [4] and assertions that his policies have made America and Israel less safe [5].
• Meanwhile, back home, jobless claims are up [6] again, the foreclosure rate is skyrocketing [7], Americans are taking out loans to pay for basic needs [8] and spending those stimulus checks on the same things [9], and more of us are stressed [10] about maintaining our standards of living.

That ought to be enough to get us started. What's on your mind? If you could ask one question on "Face the Nation," "This Week," or "Meet the Press" what would you ask? Let 'em rip in the comments. And, as always, keep things polite and respectful, as practice for when you contact the shows with your question.