We have a great country and a lot to be proud of. And despite the economy and the environment, I'm in a better mood to celebrate than I was in say, 2006.

But while you're celebrating today, take a moment and give some thought to those whose freedoms still need protecting and defending within our great nation. Today is not just for our law-abiding citizens. It's also for all who are living within our borders, including those who continue to be detained at Guantanamo, who are languishing in our prisons, and who live in fear of being separated from their families and deported.

What are you thinking about this Independence Day? And what's on your menus? I'll leave you with one more message, below:

Joran Van der Sloot has filed a lawsuit against the mysterious Peruvian lawyer who represented him during his murder confession to Peruvian police.

Maximo Altez told The Associated Press he filed suit Friday charging attorney Luz Romero Chinchay with misrepresentation, abuse of authority and conspiracy to commit a crime. Altez said the initial lawyer "pretended to be a public advocate when he is actually a private attorney."

"We have searched the name of Luz Romero Chinchay in the list of public defenders provided by the Ministry of Justice and his name was not on that list. We do not know why the police called this lawyer. We want to know who paid for him because my client did not," Altez said.

Also sued: Col. Miguel Canlla, chief of the police homicide squad, who conducted Joran's interrogation. [More...]

Last week I wrote about the DEA and narcosubmarines.

Today, the DEA helped Ecuadoran police seize one.

The DEA says (received by e-mail, no link yet, press release should be available here soon):

As a result of DEA intelligence, Ecuadorian authorities were able to seize the vessel before it was able to make its maiden voyage. This is the first seizure of a clandestinely constructed fully operational submarine built to facilitate trans-oceanic drug trafficking.

I'm not sure why this is a first. In 2008, when Captain Nemo was arrested, police said they found two and destroyed them. More on Captain Nemo here.

The World Cup went WWE this week when Argentina, particularly its insane coach Maradona, and Germany (who knew the Germans liked to talk trash?) spent the past few days exchanging insults.

The cards will be out early for this must see game. I like Argentina.

Spain plays Paraguay in the afternoon.

Another holiday weekend arrives. Anyone have any special plans?

Paris Hilton has been cleared in South Africa of possessing a joint. It looks like it will be a slow news weekend, a good time to kick back and do something different. But what?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

In response to today's horrendous employment report, the the White House spin is appalling:

Today’s employment report shows continued signs of gradual labor market recovery. Private nonfarm payroll employment increased by 83,000 in June and the unemployment rate fell two-tenths of a percentage point to 9.5%. June marks the sixth month in a row that private sector employment has increased. These continued signs of healing are important, particularly given the recent volatility in world markets and the mixed behavior of other recent economic indicators. However, much stronger job gains are needed to repair the damage caused by the financial crisis and put the millions of unemployed Americans back to work.

This is sheer nonsense. 652,000 left the work force this month. Only 82,000 private sector jobs added. This is unbelievable nonsense from the White House. And to no avail. No one believes it. The White House's delusions on the jobs issue is a clear and imminent threat to the political prospects of the Democrats, in 2010 and 2012.

Speaking for me only

Markos Moulitsas and Daily Kos have filed their federal lawsuit against Research 2000 alleging the weekly polls Daily Kos commissioned from them included phony and falsified data. You can read the lawsuit here. Attorney Adam Bonin (pro hac vice) and Nathan Dooley of COZEN O'CONNOR in LA are representing Markos and Kos Media, LLC in the suit which has been filed in the federal district of Northern California.

A few days ago, I read some blogposts on the suit and got the general gist of what happened, but not being a statistician, I got lost by reading their findings.

Adam and Nathan do a great job with the civil complaint. They understand judges aren't statisticians, and write in simple language that lawyers and lay people can understand. (Theoretically, after all, since these cases are usually settled, juries don't hear most of them. But you can never be sure, so you better be able to break down the tech talk to something they can relate to. Adams succeeds very well at this.

Here's how. [More...]

World Cup -Brazil v. Netherlands this morning. Should be a great game. I like Brazil.

Wimbledon - Berdych v. Djokovic as we speak. Nerdych up a set. Later, Nadal v. Murray. A match to watch.

Tour de France - Prologue time trial tomorrow morning from Rotterdam (temporarily moved to France this year.) Stages 1 through 3 will take the peloton through the Netherlands and Belgium - cobbles and the Ardennes. After heading back to France, through the Alps and the Pyrennees, the Tour finishes on the Champs Elysees July 25.

Open Thread.

Vicki Pelaez, a reporter with El Diaro, has been granted bail in the Russian spy case.

The judge said there was no evidence she had been trained as a spy and she is a U.S. citizen. Her husband is Juan Lazaro, who according to the Government, waived his Miranda rights and confessed. He also said his name is not Juan Lazaro but refused to reveal his identity.

Peruvian news articles have been filled with articles about Ms. Pelaez, since much of her family is there and she used to work for El Diaro in Peru.

A niece of Mr. Lazaro in Uruguay denies he is a spy and says the family will be coming to the U.S. to see what is going on.

(Disclosure: BTD says Ms. Pelaez worked for him at El Diaro in the 90s.)

Glenn Greenwald wrote about the whole Godwin's Law thing regarding his latest spat with Joe Klein and appears to have experienced a "Marshall McLuhan moment," as Godwin himself explains Godwin's Law:

Ezra Klein writes:

[I]magine if Congress is able to extend the deficit-busting Bush tax cuts but not unemployment benefits. But that, of course, is what most people think they're going to do. This will be a test for any politician who claims to care about the deficit. If they're willing to let the tax cuts expire -- a tough decision, given the politics of taxes -- it's good evidence that they're serious about cutting the debt. If they're not willing to let the cuts expire, it's irrefutable evidence that they're not.

(Emphasis supplied.) A test for everyone, not just the pols. The most famous "deficit hawk" is Peter J. Peterson. Does anyone think he will be opposing a tax cut for the rich? You think he'll have David Walker out there beating the drums against a tax cut for the rich? Me neither.

Speaking for me only

Open Thread.