The Tour de France reaches its decisive stage this morning with the Maillot Jeune likely to be decided in today's time trial. Spaniard Carlos Sastre holds a 1:34 lead over the superior time trialer Australian Cadel Evans. By the numbers, Evans should make up the time and win the Tour. But there are no guarantees.

In other news, the Yoo-Bybee II torture memo has been released, sort of (most of it has been redacted), but one chilling bit of "legal analysis" is disclosed:

"To validate the statute, an individual must have the specific intent to inflict severe pain or suffering," it reads at one point. "Because specific intent is an element of the offense, the absence of specific intent negates the charge of torture."

More . .

UPDATE by BTD

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I've been at work all day and still have motions to write and a hearing tomorrow to prepare for before returning to blogging.

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All topics welcome.

Via Politico, Columnist Bob Novak hit a pedestrian while driving to work today in his Corvette. He says he didn't know he hit anyone, didn't see anyone and drove away. A bicyclist saw it, followed him and stopped him. [More...]

Your turn. Keep it civil.

Your turn. One point, if you are a supporter of the Iraq Debacle, especially if you agreed with McCain and Bush that starting the Iraq Debacle was the right idea, please say so when discussing McCain's positions on Iraq. In that way, when you write that "McCain has been right on Iraq from the onset," we will know where you are coming from.

This is an Open Thread.

You all missed a great rock and roll photo exhibit at a Denver gallery tonight. Renowned photographer and artist Lynn Goldsmith was in town for three nights exhibiting her incomparable rock and roll photos from her collections of the 70's to her new Looking Glass series, which is something you just have to experience in person.

I was there with my pal Anita, who's in Denver again this weekend, and who also is good friends with Lynn, who spends much of the year in the Aspen Valley.

Below are some photos:

Denver Post editor Stephen Keating is in Austin for Netroots Nation, one of a few hundred mainstream media observers on scene. From his live-blog this morning:

Nancy Pelosi talked about reaching out to evangelicals:

Speaker Pelosi describes global warming as an issue of the environment, the economy, national security - and as a moral issue. “It is a moral responsibility. We work with the evangelicals to protect God’s creation.”

Code Pink anti-war protesters showed up for Pelosi's speech. NN organizer Gina Cooper laid down the rules:[More...]

Open threads are where you can post comments not germane to posts on particular topics. We delete off topic comments. Please keep it civil.

The is an Open Thread.

It's a jail day for me, which means an open thread for you. Have fun, and please keep it civil.

with apologies to the Rolling Stones.

Via Crooks and Liars: Video of Sen. Larry Craig in the Senate saying:

"We won't let [those foreigners] jerk us around by the gas nozzle."

Too funny. This is an open thread.