FOR THE PAST TWO AND A HALF WEEKS, Washington has been roiled by controversy over an alleged “GOP talking points memo” that, according to ABC News and the Washington Post, was circulated among Republican Senators on the evening of March 17, when the Senate took up debate on the Terri Schiavo federal jurisdiction bill. The memo, of which Republicans disclaimed any knowledge, set forth familiar arguments in favor of preserving Schiavo’s life, but in addition said: