Besides being a godsend for late-night comics, Vice President Dick Cheney’s quail hunting accident in Texas over the weekend does raise a few real questions: If a local newspaper hadn’t gotten wind of it, would the White House have told anyone? Was Cheney (shown in photo hunting pheasant in South Dakota) following his hunting safety dos and don’ts? What is Cheney’s deluxe traveling medical detail, which treated the man Cheney shot, costing taxpayers? What will you bloggers make of all of this?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Heckler on It’s the stupidity about the economy
- BlueJay on Open thread 11/24
- ANTI on Goldman Sachs ‘apology’ hollow
- Phinatic on It’s the stupidity about the economy
- ANTI on Open thread 11/24
- Phantom on Goldman Sachs ‘apology’ hollow
- gster on Goldman Sachs ‘apology’ hollow
- Phantom on Huckabee felt costs of campaign
- Phantom on Huckabee felt costs of campaign
- GMC70 on Open thread 11/24
126 Comments
What will you bloggers make of all of this?
An extremist mud-flinging hate fest, most likely.
Dear Rhonda,
It was an accident!
Get over it! (move along, nothing to see here)
Hank
While it was an “accident,” he could be charged with criminal negligence.
He shot an attorney….something most of us can only dream of doing..
In your dreams.
aw, c’mon, Hank..was a lawyer joke..tasteless, yes, but a joke…
Sorry raptor,
I was trying to poke cookie! We aught to have a separate thread for lawyer jokes!
I know a bunch of ‘em.
Hnak
Hmmm. The usual Bush cultists who post here are already saying all the usual things.
I just ask y’all to imagine what they’d be saying if Vice-President Lieberman had taken the shot and waited 18 hours to report it. I’ll tell you what they’d say: that Lieberman waited all that time so that whatever alcohol was in his system had time to clear out; that 18 hours was needed to craft a narrative version of events favorable to the Vice-President; that they waited to see whether the victim would die to decide what to do.
The fact that these same Bush-worshippers are saying none of these things doesn’t speak well for them. Hank wants to criticize me for posting under a psedonym? Fine. I’d like to criticize him for his lack of consistency and intellectual honesty.
Does anybody here REALLY believe we’re getting the full story? More to the point, Hank, if Cheney is handling a rifle, isn’t he the responsible party? Do you agree with the ‘official’ narrative that blames Whittington for getting in the way? Then you also reject NRA rules for who is responsible when a gun goes off?
Saying ‘nothing to see here’ begs the question: there is ABSOLUTELY something to see here. In its own way, this story is as juicy (the drunken VP at a turkey shoot blasts a major Republican donor in the face) as Monicagate. And it’s dumbed-down enough that the media doesn’t need to be told how to report it.
This was my serious post on the topic. Let the one-liners begin!
CF,
It was a hunting accident, that’s all we know. There is no ‘official’ story that I know.
Didn’t report it for 18 hours? Do you even realize how looney you’ve become? Incredible! He’s the Vice-President! Surounded by secret service, has an entourage of ove 30 people whereever he goes! And your trying to find some conspiriacy!
Ed are you posting under CF’s moniker?
Hank
It’s not the criminals that pose the real danger, it’s the idiots. Allowing idiots to carry firearms just makes them more dangerous!
Hank,
No, to the contrary; if it had just been a hunting accident, we would have heard ‘there’s been an accident involving the Vice-President,’ and details would have come in later. That didn’t happen. Instead, an unofficial source provided a well-crafted narrative, details in place, and the VP’s office couldn’t be bothered to comment. Your nervous tone suggests even you don’t quite believe your own spin.
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, Hank didn’t answer my question: what would the Wingnuts had done had the orange hunting vest been worn by Joe Lieberman rather than Elmer Cheney?
If I were Hank, I guess, I’d rather avoid the question than tell an outright lie. Not that Wingnuts are above doing so.
OK,
If it were Lieberman, I probably wouldn’t think any more about it than I do now.
Looney CF, you’re losing it.
Hank
PS, Garden Knome with an orange vest! There’s a picture!
yes, I am posting under CF’s moniker right now, with this post, but few will spot it. I think that I have all the bases covered.
A non-event and non-issue. Fodder for Comedy Central but that’s all.
Hank,
‘Looney left’; ah, the last refuge of a Wingnut scoundrel. While I appreciate your answer to my question, you’ll understand if I remain dubious. And in response to your attempt to discredit me, I’ll respond with the Wingnut trick of declaring victory. Two can play!
Frankly, given how pissed the media is at Scott McClellan, I think this story will be around for a week. In conjunction with the fact that it’s increasingly looking like Fitzgerald has the goods on Cheney, it could go still further.
Hank’s studied indifference to the contrary, I think the WH is scared to death about the negative possibilities of this story. After all, it isn’t every day that the ‘tough guy’ Vice-President, in the course of blasting away at domesticated quail rounded up for a fat-cat killing spree, SHOOTS SOMEONE IN THE FACE.
Did the VP have a drink? Can’t say; 18 hours passed. A required Texas hunting stamp? Don’t know. Was a police report filed? Wouldn’t THAT look great alongside Cheney’s two DWI’s! A trifecta! Here they are, by the way:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/cheney_doc.html
Once aroused, this is the kind of story our numb-nuts media knows how to cover. Between the Elmer Fudd comparisons, Cheney’s five military deferments, and ‘The Most Dangerous Game,’ should be a good week to stay tuned and see what develops.
CF: often imitated, and, fortunately for all concerned, never duplicated.
What do you know about that. I went to check my Hotmail account, and looky what I found on MSN: a Live Vote.
The question: “Should the White House have announced the accidental shooting by Vice President Cheney as soon as it knew?”
Out of 57276 responses, here’s the breakdown:*Yes, by not doing so it only turned the spotlight on itself:60%*No, it was appropriate that the ranch owner be the one reporting the incident: 40%
That ‘Yes’ can’t be helping Bush’s disapproval ratings, which are currently at about 47%. I bet Rove is PISSED.
looney
Yawn…what a non-story.
CF: If you keep fanning that itty bitty spark, blowing on it, shielding it from the wind, it might flame up a bit, but I doubt it. Affect approval rating? C’mon, get serious.
“It was an accident”. Hank, come on, it was a stupid accident. And as is typical, they’re blaming the victim. Excuse me, but I’ve been hunting for over 40 years and I’ve never shot anybody. I’ve never even come close. Why was Cheney shooting so low? I guess it’s not bad enough that he shoots tame birds, he shoots them on the ground? Where I come from, that’s considered poor sportsmanship.
The guy with the gun is the one responsible not to shoot anybody. Maybe if Cheney had spent some time in the service instead of getting 5 deferments, he’d know how to handle a weapon.
What a twit!
Fun to watch Hank and Outlander spin, isn’t it, XXX? The VP shot someone in the face, and in the aftermath, none of the normal legal channels were pursued. Not one. Instead, we get the same old ‘nothing to see here!’
You just keep saying that, Hank. We’ll see how long the WH can keep its story straight. Compared to their lying about the WMD and allowing New Orleans to die, I don’t think this is much of a story, frankly. But that’s what makes it so dangerous: the “third rate burglary” aspect of it. That’s why the GOP, and the die-hard minions who post here, are spinning like mad to minimize it and play it for laughs. They may well succeed. But the more the defend it, the worse it all smells.
Sad part is, the wrong guy got shot. Oh well, at least he only shot a lawyer. I wonder if Harry Whittington will continue to be a Pioneer donor? If he collects $250,000 for the next campaign, will they shoot him in the ass?I’d think it would be pretty tough to hunt with a MASH unit, Secret Service SWAT team, official Whitehouse photographer, and various and sundry lackies and boot-lickers following the VP around. I guess that’s why he shoots tame birds. But even at that, with all that noise and all those people stomping around, do you suppose they drug the birds first? I wonder if these birds are terrorists caught by illegal wiretaps? Do you suppose the VP has them water-boarded and tortured before he shoots them? Do they give the domesticated quail tiny little blindfolds before Cheney shoots them?
I’m waiting for the video tape from Osama bin-Phesant.
I read the report and I failed to see where anyone was being blamed for anything.
It was a report on what happened.
I have taught hunters safety and was a hunters safety instructor for a while here in Kansas.
I agree it was a stupid accident. There were mistakes made all around.
So what?
You liberals get a chance to make fun of the Vice President legitimately for once, is there anything else more to this?
Woops,
Feeding the dogs at my dads house and accidently posted under his name
The post above was from me.
I suppose this will fan the conspiracy flames for a bit… LOL
“Fun to watch Hank and Outlander spin, isn’t it, XXX?”
Yes it is, CF. I don’t envy them their position. How do they defend the VP from the charge of Dorkism? I know 3 people who have accidently shot other hunters. 2 are dorks and the other is a drunk. I wonder which tag fits here?
The really funny part was that Cheney didn’t even have a bird stamp on his hunting license. Maybe he had an up to date lawyer stamp?
devster,Word. “Bird stamp?!? We don’t need no steeenkin’ bird stamp!”
XXX,Given VP Cheney’s DUI history, I’d say the latter. It’s the P who’s a dork. And sadly, when you’re the President and above the law, Dorkism is an absolute defense.
Nathan/Hank Price/Wingnut Mass Noun,The ‘report’ has Whittington ‘walking up from behind’ and thus being preseted as the ’cause’ of the shooting. That’s how it reads. I acknowledge your grudging admission that the VP is the one at fault.
Just a question: is the VP above the law, or isn’t he? If he is, explain how that works in a way that an American would understand. If he isn’t, shouldn’t he be held accountable for the failure to report the incident in a timely fashion, thereby compromising the legal investigation that must be occasioned by the fact that he SHOT SOMEONE IN THE HEAD?
Ok Nathan, or Hank, or whoever you say you are, how about this?
“Whittington “came up from behind the vice president and the other hunter and didn’t signal them or indicate to them or announce himself,” Armstrong said, according to the Associated Press.”
Funny, I would think somebody behind the hunter would be safe. “didn’t signal them or indicate to them or announce himself”.
I guess that makes it his fault.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021300452.html
“Ms. Armstrong, who was with the hunting party at the time of the shooting, told The Caller-Times that Mr. Cheney turned to shoot quail that had just flown into the air, accidentally peppering one side of Mr. Whittington’s body. She said Mr. Cheney was unaware Mr. Whittington had approached him from behind, as the Texas lawyer had not followed hunting protocol and announced his presence to the other hunters.”
“had not followed hunting protocol”
Sounds like placing the blame to me.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/13/politics/13cnd-cheney.html?ei=5094&en=181b942291c6b3ef&hp=&ex=1139893200&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1139878997-At1a9qPtGYBsbx8l8fdmLA
Funny, I’m not aware of this particular “protocol”. People I hunt with are usually pretty quiet, but I guess that’s not a requirement with tame birds maybe. But then, people I hunt with don’t shoot without making sure another hunter isn’t in the way. We’re funny about that, I guess.
Nathan/Hank/Whoever, how many people have you shot accidently?
Laws are for the “little people.” A passerby once told Tom Delay that smoking was against federal regulations while he was lighting up one of his trademark cigars, and DeLie thundered, “I AM the federal government.”
Cheney don’t need no stinkin’ papers . . . he don’t need no stinkin’ sobriety rules . . . he don’t need no stinkin’ FISA.
He IS the government!
Thank goodness for Whittington, they were shooting quail with bird shot.
If they’d been after deer or antelope with rifles, he’d be a dead man.
None probably by accident X. Ask how many on purpose!
I think this was a Soprano style warning. “Listen shweetheart, this time we use a little buckshot…next time….who knows”.
I bet he raises more money in 08!
They were undoubtably hunting birds who were armed with weapons of mass destruction. “be bewwy bewwy quiet…we’re hunting tewworwists here”.
And just like that, the Smoking Gun has the Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, and the Kenedy County Sheriff’s report.
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0213061cheney1.html
Takeaway facts: Cheney had a license, but no upland bird stamp. A citation will be issued, but no fine. The investigation states that neither ‘alcohol’ nor ‘misconduct’ were involved in the accident.
Just negligence. And an attempt to shift blame. With this Administration, par for the course, really.
Cheney hunts like the administration conducts war. Wrong victim, wrong target, wrong timming.
So now when someone says “Go Cheney yourself”, should you get some twit republican to shoot you in the face with a load of buckshot?
(I know, I’m having too much fun with this…)
Is there such thing as a “seeing eye bird dog”?
Will anyone who hunts with Cheney be issued full body armor from now on?
Maybe the VP’s hunting party should be required to wear orange vests emblazoned with the words, “Please don’t shoot me”.
I’ll bet that damn Whittington was making quail noises!
I wonder what would happen if Dan Quale went hunting with the VP?
CF,
Are you plain silly or something?
The Vice President is surrounded by secret service and who knows what else in law enforcement…
Who is it that he is supposed to contact?
Who is he supposed to report this to?
You can find a conspiracy in everything can’t you?
What’s all the fuss, it was just Cheny Weeny shot.
“The Vice President is surrounded by secret service and who knows what else in law enforcement…”
They’re lucky to still be alive!
Well North Guy, they say he was carrying a “little” gun.
No conspiracy just stupidity same as all the other Bushytail tail waggers.
CHENEY ANOUNCES PLANS FOR ANOTHER HUNTING TRIP. EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY RETREATS TO AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION.
“That ‘Yes’ can’t be helping Bush’s disapproval ratings, which are currently at about 47%. I bet Rove is PISSED.”
Bush’s overall job approval rating is 39% He is said to be lying on the floor most days, all day long, in a fetal position.
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
OK, TripleX, CF, et al.
Here’s the deal. My boy, Nathan, is currently a hunter safety instructor in Kansas. I used to be one when I was stationed in Idaho. I used to get all kinds of bulletins during hunting season, men shooting each other, men shooting their dogs, dogs shooting their owners, men shooting themselves, men shooting their trucks, on and on and on. One statistic does stand out in my mind though, you are more likely to get injured in a car accident on the way to or from hnting than you are to get accidentally shot. (You’re still safer hunting with Cheney than riding in a car with Kennedy)
I don’t know what happened in Texas when Cheney shot Whittington. But it was an unfortunate accident. Who’s to blame? Cheney.
Is there a conspiracy, an attempt to decieve? Probably not. Cheney is a pretty outspoken, honest man. He will take responsibility and tell us what happened. I can wait until then.
Until then, have your fun, because this like all of the other ’scandals’ that have had you liberals in an orgasmic stupor, will soon pass. There is nothing to it.
Hank
PS Oh, by the way, I’ve never shot anyone ‘accidentally’!
Hey dad,
log out of my name goofball…
And the conspiracy continues
Done it.
Can you feed the horses tomorrow? We’ll probably take Lily Beth with us.
Hank
Anybody watching The Daily Show?
“Not shooting Whittington would have sent a message to the quails that America is weak.” -Rob Corrdry
And there’s still Leno and Letterman to come!!!
Yeah, after 8 when I get off work.
Need me to feed Sampson too?
God, it’s just bizarro world in here, what with Nathan/Hank Price/Mass Noun posting under a different name than it signs under. The following missive is directed at Hank–I think.
‘Orgasmic stupor’? Over THIS?!?!?! Please. I’m reserving that for the impeachment hearings, Mr. Price. Cheney shooting a big-time Republican donor doesn’t even merit mild tumescence on my part.
As for where the story is going, well, I think you may come to regret the Right-Wing effort to dumb down and cow the media, because something like this is the only sort of thing they’re capable of reporting. We will see. But if the story lasts a few days, it could morph, despite the best efforts of the professional spinmeisters.
Your annoyed tone, Hank, suggests that you think I may be right.
Where is Galahad on this matter? I’m lost without his guidance.
Hank you’re right. It was just a stupid accident. I won’t say it could’ve happened to anybody, because most people make it clear through their lives without accidentally shooting anyone. You have to be some kind of Futz to accidentally shoot someone while hunting. But you gotta admit, it is kind of funny. VP shoots a big-time campaign contributor and republican. Now there’s something I can support!
Cheney finally did something right.
Maybe he should invite Bush on his next hunting trip. I’ll bet the Pres would have second, and even third thoughts about that, LOL.
By the way, Hank, I never shot anybody “accidentally” either. (wink wink, nod nod)
Dear CF, TripleX, et. al.,
I suppose that this Armstrong ranch is some kind of hunting preserve. Set up so people like Cheney and others of his kind can get away and relax. I’m sure he had some kind of entourage following him around. I can’t even imagine trying to hunt in conditions like that.
I don’t hunt anymore, stationed in Idaho twice while I was in the Navy and it has spoiled me for hunting around here. I train and trial sheep dogs. Train and drive horses. No time to hunt. All I know is, if you shoot someone while hunting, it’s your fault. You can rationalize it a dozen ways, but its your fault.
If I was a betting man, (and I am) I would bet that before the end of the week Cheney comes out and at least makes a statement accepting full responsibility. Might even take questions. This will all go away.
As far as waiting for the impeachment hearings, CF, you might ought to get a video or something and relieve yourself. They aint going to happen.
Love you guys,
Hank
If ever there was proof that Hank is nathan and that he/they are drunk most of the time, it is found upthread.
This is RICH! So many have ‘taken a bullet’ for this adminisration in a figurative sense……Brown, Libby, Chertoff, Miers, Abramoff,…..
so MANY more have taken bullets for this administration in a sadly more real sense……..more than 2,000 soldiers in Iraq and countless Iraquis..
Now, we get a bush backer who actually TAKES A BULLET or birdshot at least. And like all the rest of the bush administration……the guy who got hurt is gonna get the blame!
bushies? hunters bushy or otherwise? Tell me what would happen to any other citizen in this accident. And if Cheney is not held to that same standard, (he won’t be) well then you have the basis of the problem with this administration.
Damn I hope Dick takes George hunting!
JR,
What do you think should happen to the Vice President for his hunting accident?
Once again, show me where any blame was put on anyone.
You guys really love reading into everything, don’t you?
Ok, as for the lawyer joke way up in the blog, technically im not a lawyer yet so don’t drag me into this. But you’re right lawyers are a$$holes, but law professors, ah! they’re even BIGGER ones!
What’s with two married guys going hunting with two single women?
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm??????
(and an entourage of medical personnel and Secret Service Agents)
Ah yes….and the sun rises in the east. I am sure that you rabid extremists can come up with something politically negative about that as well.
This really is a non-issue, of all the things that Cheney has done to make this a issue is moronic! If it had happened at the White house yes the questions should fly. But hunting in a field in Texas…Next issue this one is not one.
As far as I’m concerned the shooting should not have occured because the Vice President did not have the proper stamp. He knew it and was still doing it, he should not have even been there. it just goes to show you that the Govenment thinks they are above the law. Or do think he just couldn’t afford the $7.00 stamp, Give me a Break!
Here is a modified lawyer joke for you. What do you call a van as it goes off the cliff with Hank, Nathan, Todd, etc. and one empty seat? A damn shame. They coulda made room for IAN!!
Good point, Tater.
I wonder if Nathan the hunting instructor tells people it’s okay to hunt without a license.
All I can say is thank heavens he didn’t shoot a dog. Shooting a fellow hunter shows a lack of discipline and control–the HUNTER is completely responsible for knowing who and what is around him at every moment. If he isn’t completely sure, he doesn’t take the shot.
But shooting a dog is completely beyond the pale.
LOL, FrmGrl.
Good one.
HEE HEE. Another joke I found today:
“A little known Texas law allows the president and the vice president to declare anyone or anything a ‘quail for the purposes of a legitimate sporting hunt- bag limit three.”
Who said last night he was hunting Osama bin Pheasant? I bet Cindy Sheehan was glad she was not around wearing an orange t-shirt.
Ron Corddry said it best on TDS last night:
“Jon, tonight the Vice President is standing by his decision to shoot Harry Whittington. Now according to the best intelligence available, there were quail hidden in the brush. Everyone believed at the time-there-were-quail in the brush. And while the quail turned out to be the 78 year old man. Even knowing that today, Mr. Cheney insists-he still would have shot Mr. Whittington in the face.
Standing by their decisions again? LOLOLOLOLOLOL.
Do you know how easy it is to mistaken a man in an orange jacket for Big Bird!
t’s a press dream come true. A chance to jump on two subjects that top their hate list – Dick Cheney and guns. The topic – Vice-President Dick Cheney has hunting accident in which he injures one of his party. The coverage – you would think it was Watergate. The White House press conference was a real feeding frenzy, They smelled blood (pardon the pun), and were ripping into the Press Secretary with zeal.
The questions on why the White House did not immediately release a story on the incident rather waiting overnight hit a fevered pitch. One reporter actually asked, “Will the the Vice-President resign?”. The news networks, particularly MSNBC and CNN had the usual suspects bashing Cheney, the administration, hunting, and of course, firearms. That the story is much ado about nothing is obvious.
What the media revealed in the process was their own extreme bias and the lengths they will go to take cheap shots at their favorite targets.
“The coverage – you would think it was Watergate.”
Uh, yeah Brandon. It is, once again, the r usage of the cover-up thing. The Watergate break-in wasnt that big of a deal, but the cover-up that followed, well, I guess I dont need to tell you what a big deal that was. Yes, resignation.
Early morning newscasts were speculating today that REPUBLICANS would use this incident and attending cover-up to get rid of Cheney, who is increasingly seen as a liability to the r’s in the upcoming elections.
Maybe that is where the “will Cheney resign” talk is coming from.
And Brandon, if you want to talk about media bias, do a little reading first. The media is biased IN FAVOR of the republican right.
Washington Monthly says so if you care to read.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2006/0603.waldman.html
I do think the shooting itself was an accident. I have seen similar car and gun accidents, usually precipitated by a brush with Mr. Jack Black.
But as a biased liberal, I would never look to the facts for back-up. The fact that the AP reported that local law enforcement didnt talk directly to Cheney until 18 hours after the incident would never lead an objective person to think alcohol might be involved. Alcohol might also explain why the veep himself didnt talk to anyone at the white house, but let others make the calls for him. Too overcome with grief to dial the phone I guess.
Alcohol and cover-up spin might also explain why KARL ROVE was “working with” (scotty’s words) the Armstrongs to “get the story out” ninety minutes after Andy Card was called.
Ok, excuse me, but how much work does that involve? A phone call? Maybe the work was in concocting the story, not in actually getting the facts to the American people. Like the fact that the vp shot a man in the face!
Of course, the fact that Cheney has TWO DUI’s to his credit would also not lead an objective person to wonder if alcohol poisoning was what the SS really covered up.
No, Brandon. Only a really stupid and biased media would look at those facts and question, god forbid, this administration on their veracity.
Sheeesh. This is the epitome of the phrase, “tempest in a teapot”.
Let’s see….a hunting accident in Texas. In case anyone is interested, there were 29 non-fatal hunting accidents in Texas in 2004 (source, http://www.digitaltexas.com/npps/story.cfm?id=3)
There most likely were hunting accidents in just about every state last year. Does that mean that every one of those hunting accidents is cause for the flaming liberals to mass attack?
Or it is just if Republicans are involved in hunting accidents that are grist for the hate mill?
This is a total non-story. There was no “cover up”. No attempt to disguise it. Gee, it happened on a Saturday, and there was a delay of reporting it to the media. If Cheney had been carrying a cell phone and called CNN immediately, would that please anyone? Probably not.
God Forbid a holy, pure and saintly Democrat ever have an accident. (gasp) That just is incomprehensible!
Of course you have nothing but speculation though ksfarmgrrl…
Of course Nathan. It is all speculation since the ss turned away local sheriff’s officers at the ranch gate long enough for Darth to sleep it off. (Come on, ask me to provide the link!)
Really, I agree that I am just speculating. Just like the administration was “speculating” that Iraq was somehow tied to 9/11, like they speculated where they could find Osama bin Pheasant, and how they speculated there were WMD in Iraq.
Yep. We ALL speculate a lot these days.
BTW, isnt this “late reporting, alcohol out of the system” thing the same thing you all hammer Ted Kennedy about? (Justifiably so I might add!)
I know we are having way too much fun with this. No doubt, someone I support will do something equally stupid and you all will have your day too. But until then…
Uh oh. It is turning not so funny now.
CNN is reporting that the victim has “developed complications” from buckshot that moved into his heart.
Significant differences. Kennedy tried to get his cousin, Joe Garghan to take the blame. Kennedy’s actions resulted in a death. That was not delayed reporting, that was murder.
ksfarmgrrl,
Indeed. People don’t spend three days in the ICU after being ‘peppered’ with ‘pellets.’ Some noxious spin, the way the White House has tried to shrug this off by playing it for laughs.
I also think it’s substantive that the Vice-President shot someone and hasn’t appeared in public to give his side of the story.
And judging from the fact that this story is now into its third day, and that the victim’s condition is worsening, the press seems to have taken the Administration’s dissembling personally.
Contrary to y’all’s spin, Wingnuts, this is a VERY big deal.
And next week when the President accidently runs over his dog we will be hearing about how he should be prosecuted for inhumane treatment of animals…
You guys will use anything to bash this administration.
It was an ACCIDENT…
No matter how much you want this to be some big conspiracy it is not.
Nathan,
I wonder, what would happen to me if I accidentally shot someone with my .50 caliber assault rifle?
V.L.R.B!!
Dammit! I still haven’t made a joke of this whole incident yet! I must be losing my touch.
Yeah raptor, and they tried to get Harry to take the blame for being shot and Lady Armstrong got the blame for the story being released late. Same blame game.
No deaths…yet? Too bad Ted and Mary Jo didnt have the vp’s personal doctor and medical detail to follow them around. They maybe could have saved her too!
Hope Harry makes it out of ICU again. Turn on the news raptor and dont be so quick with that “no deaths” comment.
“And next week when the President accidently runs over his dog we will be hearing about how he should be prosecuted for inhumane treatment of animals…”
Nathan, since when do you equate human beings with dogs? I mean just because he is a lawyer…
If the preznit accidently ran over a 78-year-old man’s face, sent him to ICU, and then didnt report it for almost 24 hours, you would be comparing apples to apples.
But comparing an old man to a run-over dog…dude…
…even if he is a big republican donor…you are gonna piss off the dog lobby if you aren’t careful!
Dear ksfarmgrrl,
I currently have the #1 herding veteran Bearded Collie in the nation. I hope you are never in a situation that I would have to choose between him and a ‘human being’.
However, my dog and I would report your unfortunate ‘accident’ immediately!
Hank
LOL Hank, I hate to think we might be alike, but….you get big points with me for being a dog person. I loved my dog more than anything on earth. She died of a heart attack on Dec. 15 at the age of 13.5 years. I totally agree about choosing between my dog and any human. My dog would win everytime.
But we are not talking about choice here. Dont change the subject! :) The fact remains, accidently running over a dog and accidently shooting a human are viewed as very different cases by the law.
I’m wondering how far away the ambulance crew is when Dick and Mrs. Cheney do the nasty!
the incident could justify the wisdom of having an ambulance crew at your beck and call when hunting with Dick.
The comparison was about how liberals will find a conspiracy in anything, not the actual acts themselves…
Steve, there is “speculation” that the two women hunting with Harry and Dick (I know, you cant make this up) were, shall we say, um, their “companions” for the weekend? I think the P word (philandering) has been used. But used quietly because, you know, it is an impeachable crime!
Maybe it was Lynn they wanted to keep in the dark, not the american public.
Nathan
This whole thing is Cheney’s way of letting Scooter Libby to keep his mouth shut.
I gotta stop drinking this cool aid.
I’m so sorry to hear about your girl. I really do know how you feel.
Joyce and I lost three of our babies last year and we’re not over it yet. Monty was a therapy dog, we did programs for the rec centers in the summer and visited a nursing home regularly. He was the best dog I ever had. Lost him when he was 8 yrs old to a kidney disease.
Dogs. Sorrow and Joy.
Hank
Sorry, off topic. My dog used to go to the nursing home with me to visit my mom. Ian would have loved her as she was blond and blue eyed! Everyone fussed over her, so the resident nursing home dog got really jealous! I could swear I heard her barking about “these are my people get yer own old folks!”.
Of course, my dog loved old people. They dropped lots of food!
Hell,
I forgot what the topic was hours ago.
Hank
You know if the guy dies, the libs. are going to blame poor ol’ Cheney.
I love my two German Shepherds as I love my five kinder. Dogs are truly noble, decent creatures and that is more than I can say for certain “humans”(?)!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Monty was the best dog I ever had too…
Damn libs. How dare they blame the guy who fired the shot that hit the face of the 78-year old lawyer if he dies. Of birdshot moving around his body. Allegedly.
Must have done a little more than peppered the skin.
Good news!!!
Here’s the police report:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0213061cheney1.html
As near as I can tell, no retrievers were hurt during this incident!
Hank
Still a huge difference. Cheney did not walk away and allow his victim to die alone.
Accidents happen. whether hunting or driving, that is simple enough. But to run away and let someone drown in your car is a far cry from not notifying the press about a hunting accident.
I hope that next time Cheney takes shrub with him when he goes hunting. lol
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Looks like the guy had a “minor” heart attack.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400990.html
I might mention, all you Libs are missing the point about Whittington getting shot.IOKBHAR
(Its ok because he’s a republican)
Sounds like we need a full congressional investigation here. When Clinton shot a woman in the face,we heard of nothing else for over 2 years. Obviously the republicants can dish it out better than they take it in.
I’m just disappointed that Dubya wasn’t hunting with him. I guess that’s not allowed and now we know why.I hope I don’t get in trouble for saying that.
It’s ok Damoon, as long as you don’t get any overseas phone calls from Osama Bin-Pheasant.
Then you’d be in LOTS of trouble.
Hey Cheney made the story,,,or rather he hid the story and thus invited everyone to fill in the details.
Even the President was kept out of the “loop”
Why?
Hannity and Rush say “he was just a bit more concerned about getting his friend some help then telling the press”, Really? for 18 hours? And If Cheney is oh so concerned about his friend, why is he back in D.C. and in hiding?
Now Scott Mc Clellan……poor Scott by the way….. Mc Clellan KNEW that the victim had taken a turn for the worse before todays press conference, but did not share that information. Why?
And I still want an answer to my earlier question.
If this were any regular person, what would have been different? Be honest. To that I add this. Cheney has sent the $7 for the bird stamp that he did not have. I don’t think it works that way. Fish and game laws are usually pretty strict. Oh but this is all about special dispensation so far.
Now all that said, I don’t want Cheney gone. That is the best thing that could happen for the GOP. I stand ready to contribute to the Cheney defense fund!. I want him right where he is.
Dear JR,
In an earlier post I said I used to be a hunter sarety instructor in Idaho. Use to get a weekly bulletin that outlined recent hunting accidents. There was a quarterly one that summarized a lot more of them. All of them are investigated by local authorities. Almost none of them ended up with charges.
Very few of them ever had any civil action either. You are digging for treasure in a dry hole. Move on, nothing to see here. The media has made the story about the media, its over.
I live on a private lake. I need a fishing license to fish on my own lake. Sheriff asked me if I had one once, I said no. End of story. We’re talking about a private ranch in Texas. You’re hanging your hat on a $7 Upland Game Stamp? Move on, story’s over.
Sorry.
Still love JR,
Hank
Bush would be safe hunting with Dick. Even a guy like Dick couldn’t shoot a Lame Duck!
Damn that Letterman and his top ten list! The “going gay cowboy” thing should have been MY idea!
Story over? Move along nothing to see here?
Oh I don’t think so…..Clearly Cheney does not think so either……and never did.
Now I’m no hunter, but shot fired at “30 yards” penetrated through layers of clothing and into the heart? The victim may have to carry more than 200 bird shot in his body? Even I know that a shotgun fires a scatter pattern. That is it’s purpose. More than 200 hits at 30 yards?
This aint ringing true.
I am borrowing from Chris Matthews here but I think he is fair to ask “What if Cheney had been hit?” How different would this be? Should that be so?
Now if we adopt the “nothing to see here, move along” ideal, just how much latitude are we willing to grant? hank already says he defies the law and so makes it ok for the Vice Preesident to do so. I find it troubling that those who as a matter of practice so often draw lines for others that they seek to get outside those lines.
Dear boys, now. Clinton did manage to hit a red dress from about six inches. Not too bad for a President. I would have gauged a VP at three inches, tops. Thirty yards is a little over the top.
Dear JR,I defy the law! I fish on my own lake without a license. I also carry concealed on my own property. If the speed limit is 60 I do 65. There is a stop sign at 55th st. south and 215th st. west that I never stop at unless there is a car coming.
Yes JR, you have pegged me as a real scoff-law! I surrender! Now that you know the truth, you sir, are an acessory after the fact unless you turn me in. If the sheriff isn’t here by morning you sir are a criminal too!
The point that I was making about the upland game bird stamp was that it was an honest mistake. The requirement for that stamp is only six months old. Violations of relatively new regulations are often dismissed with a warning.
Now, on the other hand, I do know about shotguns, balistics, shot patterns and muzzle velocities. 30 yards really isn’t that far for a shotgun blast. I suspect that the poor ol’ attorney might have even been a little closer for a shot to reach his heart through his chest wall. But let’s say that he was at the reported 30 yards, the pattern indicated on the police report would be consistant with a 28 guage shotgun with a modified choke. At 30 yards the pattern would probably be around 2 feet in diameter.
Not knowing the choke used the pattern is up for grabs, but there is no reason to doubt the report given the limited information.
28 guage is very popular with older, more experienced hunters. It’s accurate, has less kick and puts out a nice tight pattern. It’s not for the novice hunter.
Ironically, rabid nitwit environmentalists may have saved the poor ol’ attorney’s life! They have managed to get lead shot outlawed! If Cheney had been shooting lead shot instead of steel shot the penetrating power would have been greater and the shot that hit his heart could have penetrated his heart at that range!
Hang in there JR, keep up with your what ifs and your whatevers, maybe something will stick! Meanwhile I still love my all time favorite political what if; What if Algore would have won his home State of Tennessee in 2000! Oh well….
I still love ya,
Hank
Move on people, nothing to see here.
With people like JR and CF everything this administration is a lie untill proven otherwise.
Hank said: “All of them are investigated by local authorities.”
Uh, ya hank, that is what we want too, just on a timely basis. I wonder if most local authorities wait until the day after the victim is in ICU to interview the hunter in person.
You all are the ones who say “if you have nothing to hide, you should have no fear of law enforcement”. So…did dick have anything to hide?
Cheney will just issue a terse statement ’shit happens’, and the faithful will cheer his steel!
Something smells foul here, and it ain’t quail.
Story over? Move along nothing to see here?
Oh I don’t think so…..Clearly Cheney does not think so either……and never did.
Now I’m no hunter, but shot fired at “30 yards” penetrated through layers of clothing and into the heart? The victim may have to carry more than 200 bird shot in his body? Even I know that a shotgun fires a scatter pattern. That is it’s purpose. More than 200 hits at 30 yards?
This aint ringing true.
I am borrowing from Chris Matthews here but I think he is fair to ask “What if Cheney had been hit?” How different would this be? Should that be so?
Now if we adopt the “nothing to see here, move along” ideal, just how much latitude are we willing to grant? hank already says he defies the law and so makes it ok for the Vice Preesident to do so. I find it troubling that those who as a matter of practice so often draw lines for others that they seek to get outside those lines.
JR,
Are you on auto repeat post or something?
My double post was accidental.
You know, like accidentally shooting ssomeone. I was careless I admit it.
Wow I’m a better man then Cheney.
hey Hank thanks the tip! Now since I don’t know your real name I cannot be considered an accessory. But I may advise law enforcement about that stop sign you run.
Nathan (Hank) says “people like CF and JR consider everything this administration says as a lie”Now I cannot speak for CF but for myself: yup
Of course there was a delay in reporting the story. The nation’s finest spin doctors had to be flown in to perform life-saving (Cheney’s life) surgery on the story! Otherwise it would be a story about the Vice-President shooting one of his contributors, which would have crippled his fund-raising ability, and hence his political usefulness!From now on, it will be policy to include a certified spin doctor on the vice-presidential medical team.