During breakfast, I often read the San Francisco Chronicle. I always wonder what purpose it serves other than entertainment. The Chronicle does keep me somewhat informed.
This morning, I've been pondering (as I have on many mornings) some political issues and how I might respond to them. Take for example, today's editorial calling for Antonin Scalia's self-recusal in a case involving VP Dick Cheney, who are apparently good friends and recent fellow-vacationers. My first reaction was: "This is another blatant example of arrogant power." As I reflected further, I wanted to ask, "Well, what are the precedents for self-recusal in the Supreme Court? Should people who have an obvious and public distaste for Cheney recuse themselves too? What's the difference?" No final answers on my part -- but cooler thinking did help me to see the picture in a more nuanced fashion beyond my definite partisan position.
There's more to say, obviously -- but I figure that since politics is something that keeps bouncing around the foreground and background of my musings, I should refer to some previous entries for some background. Here's some of what I found: