Top Links: Everything you always wanted to know about the Supreme Court’s Prop 8 case (but were afraid to ask)

Top story: The Supreme Court begins two days of oral arguments Tuesday over gay rights in this country. First up: California’s ban on same-sex marriage.

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• Tuesday’s case is called Hollingsworth v. Perry, but you may better know it as California’s “Prop 8” case. It’s focus: Whether same-sex marriage is legal in California—and possibly the rest of the United States. (The Associated Press)

• One of the lawyers defending same-sex marriage is Ted Olson, George W. Bush’s lawyer in Bush v. Gore. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. National Journal‘s Matt Cooper—whom Olson once defended—explains why: “[Olson] had also defended the press as the longtime lawyer for the Los Angeles Times and in other First Amendment cases. He’d agreed to represent Tim Phelps, a Newsday reporter, in the Anita Hill case even if Phelps’s work was damaging to the conservative Clarence Thomas. He was conservative, but not reflexively so.” (National Journal)

• Speaking of ex-Bushies, here’s a picture of his 2004 national campaign manager Ken Mehlman in line with Rob Reiner outside the Court. (John Harwood)

• A fascinating history of how bluer-than-blue California passed Prop 8 in the first place. Chalk it up to a poorly organized “No” side and black and Hispanic voters who voted their religion even as they voted for President Obama. (The Fix)

• “AMAZING Prop. 8 fact: A majority of LA County voters (50.1%) supported it even as Obama was winning the county in a landslide (69%).” (Chris Cillizza)

• From a 2008 Los Angeles Times article: Prop 8 supporters “were able to focus the debate on their assertion that without the ban, public school children would be indoctrinated into accepting gay marriage against their parents’ wishes, churches would be sanctioned for not performing same-sex weddings and the institution of marriage would be irreparably harmed.” (The Los Angeles Times)

• “Hollingsworth v. Perry was originally known as Perry v. Schwarzenegger and Perry v. Brown. California, however is declining to defend it.” (Ethan Klapper)

• Map of which states allow same-sex marriage or civil unions or outlaw both. (Talking Points Memo)

• Same-sex marriage advocate—and TV’s Frank on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”—Frank Conniff asks a very important question: “Will John Roberts’ lesbian cousin at Prop 8 hearing effect outcome like Frank Pentangeli’s brother from Sicily in Godfather 2?” (Frank Conniff)