Remote patrol weekend

It's pretty safe to say which presidential candidate the folks at Matt Groening's cartoon complex will be supporting Tuesday. Vice President Al Gore made an appearance in an episode of Groening's "Futurama" last season; now, on Sunday's episode of "The Simpsons" (7 p.m., Channel 4), we'll see Bart scrawling on the blackboard, "I will not plant subliminAL messaGOREs." That is the nadir of an otherwise apolitical and mostly enjoyable 250th episode to begin the animated sitcom's 12th season on Fox. Members of the Who lend their voices to the episode, in which Homer leads a citywide rebellion after learning that Springfield has been split into two area codes. Only a needlessly grim couple of scenes at the end prevent this classic-rock episode from being considered a classic "Simpsons." @ART CAPTION:Homer rocks Sunday @ART:Photo >>>