It's our third snow storm of the week and I'm going to take a snow day. Here's a place for you to chat. All topics welcome. Some things to read:

• Kagro X at Daily Kos has a list of Bush vetoes.

• David Neiwert at Firedoglake on Civil Liberties and Terrorism.

• Eriposte at LeftCoaster's exhaustive reasons for why he's chosen his favorite Democratic candidate.

• The LA Times editorials, Liberty and Justice, examining the role of the President in matters of freedom and equal justice under the law.

  The next president must recognize that this nation is defined by its liberties. Personal freedom must not become collateral damage in the war on terror -- for if that occurs, we have lost it all.

• Clinton and Obama spar over negative campaigning (Des Moines Register.) Taylor Marsh points out some of Obama's and Edwards' campaigns' personal attacks.

Congress is going to hold hearings on the Mitchell Report.

Jim Parque denies the charges. So does Roger Clemens.

Lawyer Rusty Hardin told reporters Clemens had never tested positive for steroids and was being falsely accused by a former trainer who feared federal prosecution. "Roger Clemens adamantly, vehemently or whatever adjective can be used, denies he has ever used steroids or whatever the word is for improper substance," said Hardin, a prominent defense attorney in Houston, where Clemens lives.

"There has never been one shred of tangible evidence that he ever used these substances and yet he is being slandered today," he said.

More...

Joe Biden is bad on crime issues.

Joe Biden brought us the Rave Act and has been a supporter of increased rights for law enforcement and wiretapping. Here's his voting record on issues of import:

• Voted YES on loosening restrictions on cell phone wiretapping. (Oct 2001)
• Voted YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage. (Sep 1996)
• Rated 60% by the ACLU, indicating a mixed civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)(Note: he improved in subsequent years.)
• Rated 36% by NARAL, indicating a mixed voting record on abortion. (Dec 2003) (Note: he improved in later years.)

He also introduced this doozy of a bill:

More...

I'm busy at work this afternoon so here's an open thread. A few requests:

We've fallen to a distant third place in the ABA Journal's Top 100 Law Blogs contest where we are in the Politics for Sport category. Please go on over and vote, no identification required, it takes two seconds, literally. It's okay not to win, but it would be nice to make a respectable showing. Voting closes Jan. 2.

Please Digg the TalkLeft posts you find worthwhile. It takes only a minute to get a free Digg account. In addition to submitting a favorite on your own, which takes 30 seconds, if a story has already been "dugg" it takes less than two seconds of your time to add your "digg" to it.

Blogs are free for readers. Bloggers put time and money into their sites. Very few of the thousands of readers a day make financial donations to blogs. That's fine, but please, if you're a frequent reader of a blog, give the gift of traffic by digging and sharing the posts you like.

Now, your turn, all subjects welcome.

I've got early court today, leaving at 7:30 a.m. Big Tent Democrat is taking a few weeks off and won't be posting much. So, I hope you'll all contribute some comments.

Check out my post on Mike Huckabee and Wayne Dumond over at Firedoglake, Mike Huckabee's Tangled Web.

I'll be back at some point today.

Update: Stop back this afternoon if you'd like to read an interview with LNIR, John Wesley Hall, Wayne Dumond's attorney, about the case, Huckabee, Tucker and Clinton. I have some final edits to do before I post it.

The Firedoglake bloglift is continuing. Marcy Wheeler (Empty Wheel) and TBogg have moved their blogs to FDL. Update your bookmarks:

• Empty Wheel
• TBogg

My NORML award and I are headed home from Key West.

I'm sorry TChris didn't make it this year, but Last Night in Little Rock did.

Vote reminder...Please vote for TalkLeft in the "politics is sport" category of the ABA Journal awards.

Say Hello to the new Firedoglake. What a great bloglift (yes, we coined that phrase.) Lots of new features and a terrific design.

It's balmy and beautiful here in Key West and I'm honored to be receiving NORML's annual Al Horn Award this evening. I'll be back home late tomorrow night.

What have you been reading and thinking about this weekend?

TalkLeft has been named one of the top 100 law blogs by the American Bar Association Journal.

Here's the catch. You get to vote for your favorites. TalkLeft is named in the "politics for sport" category.

I'm coming a day late to this news, so don't be put off by the large number of votes other blogs have gotten. There's still time for your vote to count. Voting ends January 2, 2008.

Three of the five blogs named are or tilt right -- Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt and Bench Memos (National Review.) The other two are Glenn Greenwald and TalkLeft. I hope you'll vote for TalkLeft or Glenn Greenwald-- just go to this link and select your choice. It takes less than five seconds. No identification is required.

As far as I can tell, only TalkLeft is written by practicing lawyers. The others in our category used to be practicing lawyers or in Instapundit's case, is written by a law professor. Thanks, I hope we get to keep this award on the progressive side of the blawgosphere.

I'm off to Key West for the annual NORML legal seminar where I'll be speaking Saturday on "Building Your Online Presence: Tech Tools for Lawyers." The full agenda is here.

It's just about my favorite seminar of the year, between getting together with other drug defense lawyers, the Pier House Resort and Spa (check out my favorite room) and the free-spirit, laid back style of Key West itself.

So wherever you might be today and this weekend, I hope you have as much fun as I will in Margaritaville. Here's an open thread to get you talking.

If there's news today, I won't see it until later. Here's a place for you to fill us in.

• Text of the Israel-Palestinean peace talk agreement.

• David Cole's review of Jack Goldsmith's book, The Terror Presidency: Law and Judgment Inside the Bush Administration. Goldsmith doesn't get a pass.

• The Center for Constitutional Rights files an amended complaint (pdf) against Blackwater with new death, injury and drug allegations.

• Raw Story's part two of the Don Siegelman investigation and prosecution.

• Jesse Jackson says John Edwards is the only candidate not ignoring African Americans.

• A convicted moneyman played host to Rudy at a fundraiser last night.

A great Sunday morning here. Homemade blueberry pancakes, maple syrup, bacon, fresh-squeezed orange juice and piping hot coffee. It's so much fun to have a kid around to cook for -- even if he's all grown up.

We saw Darjeeling Limited yesterday which included the ten minute short Hotel Chevalier. I really liked both (Adrian Brody is outstanding in Darjeeling) although Hotel Chevalier is a much stronger film. Here's an interview in today's Observer with Natalie Portman about it. Next up to see: Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, blogger Brian Linse's (Ain't No Bad Dude)new film.

What's going good in your life today?

And yes, this is an open thread, all topics welcome.