Media Matters is out with a quick study that purports to find a GOP slant in cable television coverage of the retirement of Justice David Souter. As the summary touts:

"In the week following Justice David Souter's retirement announcement, significantly more Republican members of Congress, especially on Fox News, participated in daytime cable news discussions about or touching on the Supreme Court than did Democratic members of Congress and Obama administration officials."

It's an interesting idea for a study, but highly limited.

Look at the numbers. The "significantly more Republican" cast that discomforts Media Matters amounts to only one GOP representative at CNN, compared to zero Democrats. At MSNBC, the "significantly more Republican cast" amounts to three GOP representatives compared to two Democrats.

Suits & Sentences humbly suggests this sample is far too limited to be useful. Indeed, it's a little surprising that in the entire week following the Supreme Court justice's retirement announcement, the number of lawmakers from either party showing up on cable to discuss the matter was so low.

Finally: it actually makes sense for cable news to disproportionately seek out Republican views on this. They will be the presumed dissenters, and it's journalistically most useful to know their opening gambits.  And as for setting up conflict -- because, after all, the media's game is called Let's You and Him Fight -- the best bet is to go with the party out of power.