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the zeitgeist checklist: What Washington is talking about.

Zeitgeist Checklist: Stock Plunge EditionWhat Washington is talking about this week.

By Christopher Beam
Posted Friday, March 2, 2007, at 8:29 PM ET

(Continued from page 1)

6. Last Week: 1 Weeks on List: 36 [DOWN ARROW]

It's Not a Quagmire—It's a Quagmiracle!
Iraq. A majority of Americans favor a deadline for withdrawing troops from Iraq, according to a poll. But Cheney argues a troop pullout from Iraq would escalate the war in Afghanistan, although probably not as much as invading it did. McCain apologizes for saying the lives of American troops in Iraq were "wasted," explaining he meant to say "sacrificed." Loyal Republican Hill staffers adopt plan to get "totally sacrificed" Friday night.

7. Last Week: 8 Weeks on List: 6 [UP ARROW]

A House Divided Against Itself, We Cannot Stand
Congress. House Democrats struggle to agree on a plan that would condition Iraq war funding on getting troops better equipment, including night-vision goggles. That way, soldiers can actually see the shrapnel penetrate their thinly armored vehicles. Across the aisle, House Republicans push for a vote on the homeland security committee appointment of Democratic Rep. William Jefferson, who stored $90,000 worth of alleged bribe money in a freezer. Frankly, he sounds perfect for the job: Find a terrorist ring, he'll freeze their assets.

8. Last Week: 9 Weeks on List: 2 [UP ARROW]

Sanity Offense
Law. A federal judge determines that Jose Padilla is fit to stand trial, despite claims by his lawyers that torture has rendered him psychologically unable to assist in his own defense. Of course, if defendants had to be psychologically capable, Michael Jackson would never have set foot in court.

9. New This Week [UP ARROW]

Global Warming Traced Back to Gore Household
Climate. Fresh off an Oscar win, Al Gore gets slammed for owning a house that reportedly consumed 221,000 kilowatt hours in 2006—the exact amount needed to screen An Inconvenient Truth on a wall-to-wall plasma screen 24 hours a day for a year. The governors of five Western states agree to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, which should just about offset Gore's consumption.

10. New This Week [UP ARROW]

 Race Relations
Race. A genealogical study reveals that Rev. Al Sharpton's great-grandfather was a slave owned by relatives of late segregation supporter Sen. Strom Thurmond. Too bad Thurmond couldn't be around for a tearful reconciliation—or to demand reparations for having to be associated with Sharpton.

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Christopher Beam is a Slate political reporter.
Illustrations by Vivian Selbo.
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