David Addington, Dick Cheney's former legal counsel and current Chief of Staff (post Scooter Libby) testified before a House subcommittee today on the Administration's interrogation practices and torture.

Crooks and Liars has some thoughts as well as videos of Addington's testimony and the law profs at Balkanization have lots to say about John Yoo's testimony.

Human Rights First has the lowlights of both men's testimony. John Yoo's prepared testimony is here.

In other torture news, the American Civil Liberties Union is calling on the United States government "to appoint an independent prosecutor for U.S. torture crimes, to put an end to practices that involve torture and abuse and to fulfill its obligations under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). "

Glenn Greenwald writes:

On January 31 of this year, Keith Olbermann donned his most serious face and most indignant voice tone to rail against George Bush for supporting telecom immunity and revisions to FISA. In a 10-minute "Special Comment," the MSNBC star condemned Bush for wanting to "retroactively immunize corporate criminals[.]" . . . Olbermann added that telecom amnesty was a "shameless, breathless, literally textbook example of Fascism -- the merged efforts of government and corporations that answer to no government."

. . . . Now that Barack Obama supports a law that does the same thing -- and now that Obama justifies that support by claiming that this bill is necessary to keep us Safe from the Terrorists -- everything has changed. . . . There wasn't a syllable uttered about "immunizing corporate criminals" or "textbook examples of Fascism" or the Third Reich. There wasn't a word of rational criticism of the bill either. Instead, [Olbermann and Jon Alter] hailed Obama's bravery and strength -- as evidenced by his "standing up to the left" in order to support this important centrist FISA compromise . . . [MORE]

Tonight in Denver: Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Proceeds from the tax-deductable tickets go to the American Transplant Foundation. Thu 8 p.m. Wells Fargo Theatre, 700 14th St. $250-$1000. For more information, visit here.

The TL Kid and I will be there... one of the partners at his new law firm gave us their great seats right in front. (Thanks, Jeff.)

This is another open thread as the last one is full.

A few state polls to analyze. First SUSA's Missouri poll that has McCain up 7. the demos are whites (86% of the electorate) for McCain 55-37 and African Americans (12% of the electorate) for Obama 89-8. In 2004, Missouri went for Bush by 7, with Bush winning whites (77% of the vote) 58-41 and Kerry winning African Americans (11% of the vote) 88-11 (Latinos were said to be 8% of the vote in Missouri in 2004, a figure I find impossible to believe frankly, and Kerry won them 53-44.)

Here's my thinking, African Americans will be more than 12% of the electorate in Missouri and Obama will carry 95% of them, making this a closer race than 7. But still, this is a lean McCain state. More

Here's an open thread for today while we're at work.

If you've got an opinion or news to share, you can do it here. All topics welcome.

Here's a thread for reactions, your own and others, to today's Supreme Court decision in D.C. v. Heller. I have provided selected quotes from the opinion here.

Update: D.C. v. Heller has been released. The Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Anton Scalia, has affirmed that the D.C. handgun ban is unconstitutional:

The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditional lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.

The opinion is here.

I will update with selected quotes below as I go through the 157 page opinion. First quote:

Where is Sen. Barack Obama on the death penalty? With Justices Alito, Scalia and Thomas. Here is what Sen. Obama had to say about today's excellent Supreme Court ruling striking down a state statute allowing the death penalty to be imposed for crimes where no death occurs:

When asked about Supreme Court ruling against the use of the death penalty in instances of child rape today at a news conference in Chicago, Obama answered, “I disagree with the decision. I have said repeatedly that I think that the death penalty should be applied in very narrow circumstances for most egregious of crimes. I think that the rape of a small child, six or eight years old is a heinous crime, and if a state makes a decision that under narrow, limited, well-defined circumstances, the death penalty is at least potentially applicable. That does not violate our constitution.”

He continued, “Had the Supreme Court said, ‘We want to constrain ability of states to do this to make sure that it's done in a careful and appropriate way,’ that would've been one thing, but it basically had a blanket prohibition and I disagree with that decision.”

He sounds just like John McCain: [More...]

The Los Angeles Police Department has a "longstanding police policy that prohibits officers from initiating contact with people for the sole purpose of learning their immigration status." That policy is consistent with the belief that police officers should not accost individuals to seek information without a more legitimate reason than nosiness. The policy also protects individuals from police inquiries that are based on officers' assumption about national origins.

The frequently misguided organization Judicial Watch got it wrong again in a lawsuit it filed to free LAPD from that self-imposed restraint. Judicial Watch argued that "the city should not be using taxpayer money to enforce the policy, saying the order blocked cooperation between the local police and federal immigration agents." Wrong.

Judge Rolf M. Treu of Los Angeles Superior Court granted a motion from the city and the American Civil Liberties Union for a summary judgment to throw the suit out, arguing that Mr. Sturgeon was unable to show that the order violated federal law or impeded immigration officials from communicating with the police.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, often mentioned as a running mate for John McCain, was against a legislative pay raise in Louisiana before he wasn't against it enough to stop it.

During his election campaign, he vowed to prohibit legislative pay raises.

The legislature more than doubled legislative salaries, a particularly undeserved raise in light of the state's slow recovery from Katrina and the economic devastation that haunts many of its residents.

Even while denouncing the money lawmakers are giving themselves, the governor has tried to depict the matter as an internal legislative affair that does not require his meddling.

Jindal has two more weeks to pull the trigger on a veto, but he apparently doesn't want to derail support for his "reform" agenda, which includes "allowing science teachers to use 'supplemental' material that critics say is merely a stalking-horse for teaching creationism." For this they're getting a raise?

In the mail today -- a copy of William McKeen's new book Outlaw Journalist: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson. It will be available on July 8 but you can order now at Amazon.

I'm especially anxious to read it because in the second section of eight pages of black and white photos of Hunter, is one I took of his wife Anita and son Juan. I've never been credited in a book before with "Photograph by..." and it's pretty exciting. Mr. McKeen contacted me a few years ago and asked for permission to use it. I asked Anita what she thought and she said it was fine.

Now, the book. [More...]

To be clear: Barack will support a filibuster of any bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies.

This is Obama now:

My view on FISA has always been that the issue of the phone companies per se is not one that overrides the security interests of the American people."

Can you say "willing to say or do anything to win?" Or if you prefer, the "new" politics.

Speaking for me only