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Zeitgeist Checklist, Civil War EditionWhat Washington is talking about this week.

By Christopher BeamPosted Friday, Dec. 1, 2006, at 6:49 PM ET

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Amman, a Plan
1. Last Week: 1 Weeks on List: 23 FLAT ARROW Iraq. The administration gets huffy over the term "civil war." Its proposed alternative, "the War of Iraqi Aggression," hasn't caught on. President Bush meets with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Jordan, calling him "the right guy for Iraq"—immediately after a leaked memo by his national security adviser says exactly the opposite. The Iraq Study Group, meanwhile, takes a study break to pose for Annie Leibovitz in Men's Vogue. Expect to see James Baker cradling Lee Hamilton in his arms on a wind-swept dune while squinting into an Iraqi sunset.

George Allen Got Off Easy
2. Last Week: 3 Weeks on List: 10 FLAT ARROW Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rejects Rep. Alcee Hastings' bid for intelligence-committee chair, saving herself potential embarrassment. In the other chamber, Virginia Sen. Jim Webb thinks his razor-thin victory was a mandate for attitude. In response to President Bush's question, "How's your boy?" Webb replies, "That's between me and my boy, Mr. President." Bush reminds self to find Webb fils a nice quiet patrolling gig in Ramadi.

He Knows It When He Sees It
3. New This Week UP ARROW Climate. The Supreme Court chambers heat up, as the justices hear arguments for enforcing vehicle-emissions standards. Scalia's rant alone, in which he reminds everyone he's "not a scientist" and therefore doesn't "want to have to deal with global warming," increases the nation's carbon footprint tenfold. Meanwhile, Al Gore promises Jay Leno an "uncut" edition of An Inconvenient Truth will feature "glacier on glacier action." If 2008 doesn't pan out, we hear there's an open spot at The Laugh Factory.

It's Hard Out Here for a Pope
4. New This Week UP ARROW Religion. Pope Benedict XVI visits Turkey to patch up that whole Islam v. Christianity thing. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to see the pope, except for a 20-minute hello at the airport. Benedict backs Turkey's bid for European Union membership, only to see the European Commission swat it down. Conclusion: Popin' ain't easy.

From Russia, With Polonium
5. Last Week: 9 Weeks on List: 2 UP ARROW Russia. Fallout over the death of poisoned former spy Alexander Litvinenko continues this week, as British officials demand answers from President Putin. A British probe discovers traces of polonium-210 on five planes—three British and two Russian. A shaken (not stirred) Tony Blair suggests he and Putin resolve this like real men, with a winner-take-all round of Texas Hold 'em.