Much coverage has been accorded the woman who was issued a restraining order by Santa Fe District Court Judge Daniel Sanchez against talk-show host David Letterman. Typical was Keith Olbermann on Countdown's December 27th program:

"Colleen Nestler of Santa Fe, New Mexico, somehow managed to get a temporary restraining order issued against Letterman last week saying he had to stay at least three yards from her at all times. But the judge who granted that order today reversed himself, lifted it. Ms. Nestler had alleged since 1994 Letterman had been using coded words during his broadcasts and gestures and, quote, "eye expressions," unquote, to show that he wanted to marry her. Today, of course, when asked for proof of her allegations by Judge Daniel Sanchez, she could offer none."

Noticeably absent in all the reports of this story is the judge's political affiliation. I had to go back to the April 28, 2004 Santa Fe New Mexican to learn that Judge Sanchez "held positions in state and local government before his 1998 election as Democratic Party nominee. . ."

What do you think the odds are that, were the judge a Republican rather than a Democrat, his political affiliation wouldn't have been mentioned in numerous press reports?