It’s like a slap in the face. I over-slept. I jumped out of bed and got myself together and ran out the door. I started the car and turned on the radio.

And Mike Greenberg told me not about baseball, basketball or football. He told me that there had been attack on London. The London Underground. ESPN Radio wasn’t going to cut it this morning. As I changed the station to NPR, my mind raced and my emotions vacillated. How bad is it? Are we in danger? How can this still be happening.

NPR had made way for the BBC. Tony Blair was speaking. He announced that he would leave the G8 conference to deal with situation. But he would return tonight. He spoke eloquently. He seemed in control of the situation.

My mind is still racing. My emotions are still all over the place. I feel compassion those whose lives have been turned upside down for this. I feel a sense of responsibility. The Brits have been the most supportive of the U.S. even when we’ve been off the mark. They are paying for that support now.

I am angry. Al Queda should be destroyed by now. The full force of the United States should be enough to capture its leaders, to freeze its assets, to find their bases and destroy them. But these things have not happened. They have not happened because we can not bring down the full force of the United States on Al Queda. We are all wrapped up in Iraq. A place we were supposed to make better, bring democracy to. A place that just signed a Pact with Iran. A country that we have declared an Axis of Evil. A country that may have nuclear weapons.

There are real problems out there. There are real threats. Threats that are bigger than WMDs that don’t exist. Bigger than flag burning and gay marriage. Bigger than abortion. Bigger than screwing up Social Security worse than it already is. This country needs to start dealing with those problems. I heard dozens of analysts say that we would look back and say that 9/11 was the day that everything changed. I’m looking back now and everything seems the same.

How many times must disaster strike before things really do change? 9/11. 3/11. 7/7. We need a solid plan to deal with terrorists. We need to leave the “wedge” issues and simply deal with the real issues.

Tonight my thoughts and my heart is with those in England.