Little Green Footballs leaves the right

Another former partisan leaving his fold. Not that this is so notable in and of itself. We've seen plenty of Congress-critters cross the aisle in recent years.  Reading the comments of this post made me think, however, how inclined we are to magnify what we disapprove of in a public figure, and ignore what we might agree with, or at least would give us reason to think for a bit. Seth Godin gives us some of the reason for this. Media outlets, including bloggers, get more of our attention by pushing what are essentially our gossip buttons. And we are inclined to come to a swift judgement based on what we have already been presented. Human nature takes over after that. We have an inherent inclination to only see what matches our beliefs, so that any new information inconsistent with those beliefs tends to be unconsciously ignored. Ah, the importance of first impressions.

Moral legislation?

The LA times reports on a last minute rule by the Bush administration allowing physicians to refuse to provide care they find morally objectionable. This assumes a mainstream Christian physician. What if a physician's moral position is against heroic measures to continue life, or against increasing population, what then? These 'moral' positions run counter to the 'morals' this rule has in mind.

Attacks on Palin

There is a piece in the CS Monitor blogs where there is some concern expressed about the attacks on Sarah Palin as being sexist. I don't see it. I don't see the attacks on Palin as being any different than the attacks on another vice-presidential candidate that became Vice President, and appeared similarly qualified. Other than that VP happened to be a white anglo male.