Cheney is supposed to give an interview to Fox. Who needs Scott McLellan when you have the Fox Network?

Does any of this really surprise anyone? Why do you think it took so long for the story to come to light, they had to get their stories straight.

I have seen pictures of Cheney hunting with hearing muffs on and I don't know if he had them on during this event but if he did, he most likely would not have heard the victim if he did call.

When is someone going to question the fact that Carl Rove and Armstrong discussed this before it was released?

If he was drinking, the Secret Service knows and will have to testify to that fact at any inquiry.

It was reported yesterday that Armstrong consulted with Rove before talking to the press. I really think they thought they could duck any questions by making this seem like a trite incident.

Shooting accidents more often than not end up as tragedies. That's why responsible gun ownership is so important. Maybe something good will come from this unfortunate event as the public is better educated about the proper way to handle fire arms. Hunting is a serious sport.

But there is so much more to Katherine Armstrong:

Katherine is the daughter of Pioneer Tobin Armstrong, an heir to the fabled Armstrong and King Ranch fortunes. Her mother, Anne Armstrong, who is Kay Bailey Hutchison's best friend, helped launch the senator's career as Republican National Committee co-chair in 1971.

A veteran of blue-chip corporate boards, Anne Armstrong was a Halliburton director when that corporation hired Cheney.

Hutchison returned the favor by hiring Armstrong's son-in-law, Warren Idsal [married Katherine Armstrong], as a top aide. But Hutchison fired him after a short tenure.

Then-Governor George W. Bush appointed Katharine Idsal to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in 1999. She became chair of the commission after her divorce, taking back her maiden name.

Interesting reading.

This is just the kind of freakish, irrelevent, shallow story that the US media, and citizen media addicts seem to devour over and over. It's an O.J. moment for the White House and it can do much more damage than the real crimes the Bushies have committed. Cheney's upcoming appearance on Fox today proves how dangerous it is for them. PR specialist Rove knows this is exactly the sort of left-field, seemingly harmless story that could bring their dyNASTY down. Ironic isn't it?

This is really a non-story from the Democratic Party leaders. The White House press corp got their feelings hurt because the story broke in a small local newspaper ans so they appear to behaving like small spoiled children. The smart position Democratic Party leaders is to simplely say it was an accident and it is between the Texas Authorities and Mr. Cheney. The less said on the Democratic side the better. In the past the Party leadership has hurt themselves by over stating and pushing issues.

Great job people, way to be vigilant! Here is a sampling of the news that was ignored because of Cheney’s shooting accident.

WHISTLEBLOWER SAYS NSA VIOLATIONS BIGGER

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 -- A former NSA employee said Tuesday there is ANOTHER ongoing top-secret surveillance program that might have violated MILLIONS OF AMERICANS' Constitutional rights.
Russell D. Tice told the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations he has concerns about a "special access" electronic surveillance program that he characterized as far more wide-ranging than the warrentless wiretapping recently exposed.

And then there’s this:

OUTED CIA OFFICER WAS WORKING ON IRAN, INTELLIGENCE SOURCES SAY

The unmasking of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame Wilson by White House officials in 2003 caused significant damage to U.S. national security and its ability to counter nuclear proliferation abroad.

Plame Wilson was part of an operation that was tracking distribution and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction technology to and from Iran.

Several intelligence officials described the damage in terms of how long it would take for the agency to recover. According to THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT, the CIA would be impaired for up to "ten years" in its capacity to adequately monitor nuclear proliferation on the level of efficiency and accuracy it had prior to the White House leak of Plame Wilson's identity.

And this:
LIBBY SAYS 'SUPERIORS' AUTHORIZED LEAKS

WASHINGTON — Former vice presidential aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby has told a federal grand jury that his "superiors" authorized him to leak highly sensitive intelligence to journalists

And this:
US GOVERNMENT TO GIVE BIG OIL $7 BILLION

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 — The federal government is on the verge of one of the biggest giveaways of oil and gas in American history, worth an estimated $7 billion over five years.
New projections, buried in the Interior Department's just-published budget plan, anticipate that the government will let companies pump about $65 billion worth of oil and natural gas from federal territory over the next five years without paying any royalties to the government.
Exxon's profit for the year to a staggering $36.13 billion -- bigger than the economies of 125 countries in the World
Royal Dutch Shell Plc posted a record US$23 billion profit for 2005, up 30% from the previous year
Chevron's profit of $14.1 billion for the full year was the biggest profit on the company's record 126 years
British Petroleum's (BP) Net profit for the year ended Dec. 31 rose 31 percent to $22.34 billion

And this:
BUSH ADMIN. SPENT OVER $1.6 BILLION ON ADVERTISING AND P.R. SINCE 2003, GAO FINDS

Today Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. George Miller, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, and other senior Democrats released a new Government Accountability Office report finding that the Bush Administration spent more than $1.6 billion in public relations and media contracts in a two and a half year span.

I am sure that there is more, but hey, I’m just one guy. I am not a multi-national news organization with thousands of ways to disseminate important news. For better or worse (OK, worse) that is a job for the big, liberal, mainstream media.

I am not saying that the shooting was purposeful to detract from real news. I am saying that our 24 hour news system is broken. With a 24 hour news cycle, you’d think that the news people would have ample time to cover the real news and not this sensational crap. There is very, very serious shit happening all over the world right now, yet I am bombarded with “news” about Cheney’s hunting accident! I blame the American public as well, because they seem to love flash over substance.

...Cheney said he agreed that ranch owner Armstrong should make the story public, because she was an eyewitness, because she grew up on the ranch and because she is "an acknowledged expert in all of this" as a past head of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He also agreed with her decision to choose the local newspaper as the way to get the news out.

"I thought that made good sense because you can get as accurate a story as possible from somebody who knew and understood hunting and then it would immediately go up to the wires and be posted on the Web site, which is the way it went out and I thought that was the right call," Cheney said.

"What do you think now?" Hume asked.

"I still do," Cheney responded. "The accuracy was enormously important. I had no press person with me."

NBC News called the vice president’s office for comment four times Tuesday and Wednesday, it disclosed today, and asked whether the vice president or anyone in the hunting party had consumed any alcohol on Saturday prior to the accident. In an e-mail statement Wednesday to NBC News, the vice president’s press secretary referred NBC News to the Kenedy County Sheriff’s Department report on the incident, which said it did not believe alcohol use was a factor in the shooting.

At a news conference Wednesday outside Whittington’s hospital in Corpus Christi, reporters asked hospital officials whether Whittington’s blood-alcohol level had been tested. The officials responded with a "no comment."

* * *

What kind of "an acknowledged expert in all of this" as a past head of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and who is "somebody who knew and understood hunting" would include beer in the coolers at the luncheon?

As for not having a public relations person handy....there is a small thing called a cell phone. Which makes one wonder if these cells were used and who they called? Bet Cheney called Gonazlaes first.

Will Democrats literally quit DICKING AROUND and focus!You will lose the outrage of Abu Ghraib photos, Katrina hearings, and every other issue discussing Cheney's hunting fiasco. Let the late night comedians handle roasting Cheney, they are great at it.

She's not credible.

First she said that there was no drinking.

Then "quick draw" admitted he had "a beer".

By the way, I used to be a cop. When stopping someone I suspected driving under the influence, this is a frequently-heard line. It's right out of the playbook: "I just had one beer".

Right. And some pretzels.

So where is the DNC? Hello? ANYONE HOME??

Armstrong's a liar.

Next?

Dick is getting testy. First, John McCain puts an end to degrading torturing of Iraqi prisoners. Next, a trusted friend, the Chief-of-Staff, has to step down because the CIA doen't like having agents exposed. Finally, your Wiretapping privilages are getting unwanted Congressional oversight. Under those circumstances, I would confuse any lawyer with a tasty fowl.

Forth question: Would you describe him as a close friend, friendly acquaintance, what --

Cheney: No, an acquaintance.

Yep, really needed four days for the washing machine to reach the spin cycle. Either Cheney wears his heart on his sleeves, or his pacemaker was accidentally set on "Love" over the weekend.

You know, it would be simple decency if Dick Cheney called up Mr Whittington's wife that evening/Sunday morning and apologized for almost making her a widow. No call, no nothing, just a chance meeting in the hospital hallway.

For as much as the Republicans joyously played up Vince Foster's unfortunate demise, they are getting quite irate with independents saying its plame stupid to wing laywers before you identify them.

Can this be the true face of our Second-in-Command; how many other hunting accidents did Dick Cheney caused, and which small-town newspapers were they reported in?

Does this question really need to be asked? :D We all know that anyone in the Bush Party is a lier of some sort.In any event,talking about it sure makes for great entertainment.So,on that note: Great post! :)

HOW TALL WAS THE VICTIM?

I have quail hunted before and if i recall that
when the noise from the flapping of the birds
wings when first heard the fowls would be at
least fifteen to twenty feet in flight and to
be able to shoot a bird at the same level of a
man's heart unless the victim is standing on a
hill the shooter would have to be faster than
Billy The Kid.

Finally, Until the investigation in the case
of Skooter Libby is over I'll bet that you can't
drag Libby to a hunting expedition with Cheney.

HOW TALL WAS THE VICTIM?

I have quail hunted before and if i recall that
when the noise from the flapping of the birds
wings when first heard the fowls would be at
least fifteen to twenty feet in flight and to
be able to shoot a bird at the same level of a
man's heart unless the victim is standing on a
hill the shooter would have to be faster than
Billy The Kid.

Finally, Until the investigation in the case
of Skooter Libby is over I'll bet that you can't
drag Libby to a hunting expedition with Cheney.

* Was Cheney under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident? Cheney's denied this, though he admitted to havin "a beer" hours before he shot Whittington. The other guests and staff who were present need to be interviewed properly. Photographs are probably available, too.

* Why did Kenedy County Sheriff Salinas agree to delay his interview of Cheney until the next morning? Is this the way he would investigate any other shooting?

* Why did the Secret Service keep Sheriff's deputies away from Cheney the first evening? By doing so, was the US Secret Service helping to cover up a felony?

* Why, after the delayed interview, did Sheriff Salinas blankly state that no alcohol was involved? Did he just take Cheney's and Armstrong's word? Is it typical investigative behavior to be so gullible? A man was shot in his jurisdiction, yet Salinas only filed a half-page report. Are his reports always so terse?

* When will the FBI or some other qualified investigative agency arrive on the scene, gather a list of all those who were present, and start to do interviews?

I admit to having suspicions as to the answers to each of these questions, but these and others should be raised in a loud hue and cry, until they are officially answered.

Well, at least it's a good thing for the army that he got those 4 college deferments

Posted by RavenNightwing on February 15, 2006 at 03:25 PM

This person summed the whole situation up quite nicely. We need to impeach the VP over the Valerie Plame incident, not hunting accidents.

This is certainly not the most serious infringement of the VP in regards to the nation as a whole. However, it does leave very many questions unanswered. And several omissions as well.

It is unbelievable that the sheriff's office did not come to investigate for 14 hours. That puts the VP above the law that is used for all other citizens. Maybe alcohol was not a factor, but we do not know for sure now. The doctors for Mr. Whittington said 'no comment' when asked about his blood alcohol content.

If it was truly an accident then it should have been reported promptly and efficiently. Then the story would be gone. It wasn't, and now the spin machine is in full gear.

Mrs. Armstrong also has been paid as a lobbyist with clients having contracts in Iraq. That could cloud her judgement slightly as to what she reported.

We must not forget the outing of a CIA agent, the lies leading to Iraq, the givaways to big oil, the gutting of our environmental policies, the abuses of our civil rights, the torture of prisoners we hold, and all the other things that have been done to hurt our nation. At the same time we cannot let them just get by again with withholding and controlling the information that should be given to the citizens of this country.

If Whittington did come up behind Cheney, how did he get accidentally shot? Cheney was supposedly focused on a covey of quail, he would have been facing his target. Whittington would have seen the VP bring the shotgun up, and would have stayed behind the VP.
Did Cheney have his weapon over his shoulder? With the safety off?
There were others in the party, they would have seen Whittington or spoken to him.
If Katherine Armstrong tells the truth, would she be boycotted by the lobbyists who bring the pols out to these slaughter ranches?
Drinking, from what I understand is a good probability on these ranches. The reason these game farms are so popular is that they tend to suspend the rules for their clients and to keep game wardens, who would enforce the rules, out.
This story has more holes than my grandma's lace curtains.
From the smell, there's a skunk in the woodpile.

This incident is a tragic occurrence and we should not lose that in our responses.

I concur that Cheney should have reported sooner and that the incident should have been appropriately investigated sooner. Cheney acknowledged having consumer "a beer" at lunch (2:00 p.m.?) before the incident occurred. By delaying investigation, it provided time to arrange a cover story, but also to allow any alcohol in the system to metabolize out. If he had been legally intoxicated, a simple blood test or breathalyser would have been administered, or investigating officers would have noticed beer cans, bottles etc. Now we really only have a report from the VP himself and folks with whom he had a long time to discuss the consequences of this incident and about how much was consumed. His report could be completely accurate. But we won't know because law enforcement provided special treatment. And in fact the person left to make the report could plausibly report about the incident in the way she saw it or had it reported to her from Cheney and not perjure herself because she was not in a position to see the incident clearly. Others closer to the incident who might have made up a story would have committed perjury.

I wonder if they had time to take a poll to see what they should say?

Our Dem leaders continue to allow the lie that FOX News is a news source rather than the RNC outlet it is - and again we pay the price. Cheney gets credit for "facing the media" when all he did was essentially release a preplanned statement through the RNC (ie FOX News=the RNC). He didn't have to face actual reporters, actual questions - and so his drinking before and after the accident get a free pass, his not reporting it or facing police for a whole day: anyone want to deal with reality that maybe he avoided police for so long because he was legally drunk? And so breaking the law...

Even our leader, Howard Dean, goes of FOX News Sunday. As long as we continue to go on FOX rather than point out it is not an actual new source but a propaganda outlet, we will continue to be demolished by right wing domination of the media. We have to stop going on FOX entirely, make it very public it is not a news source at all, and go after the rest of the media that is right-wing puppet, like MSNBC with Carlson and Scarborough, and ABC for operating right-wing radio, and make the right-wing propaganda media - which is more Soviet than American - a central, front-and-center issue.

NOW!

I am outraged! We should impeach Cheney! He should have realized how important this story could be to the Democratic party! He should have just left the wounded Harry Whittington in the field and driven to the Sheriff's office (provided that the sheriff was not a Republican) and while on his way, call Howard Dean personally to tell him the story of how he had been as drunk as a Kennedy before sneaking up on the innocent attorney and getting in a non-fatal shot (maybe two or three), just so he could cover up the other stories that could cause problems for the administration.

How dare Cheney make sure that the victum was taken care of, before sending a witness to inform the press of the damaging story. Of course this witness is unreliable simply because she was there when it happened and a friend of the Vice President. How could anyone who was actually there tell the story correctly and as you know all friends of the V.P. lie. ( I heard that you must check the box "Liar" on the "Friend of Cheney" application form, before the administration will accept it) Then this "witness" had the nerve to tell the local paper and didn't even have the class to call the real press. How rude!

To top it off, later on, these vermin must have sent some one to the hospital and caused the poory guy to have a heart attack because the news wasn't big enough to cover all of the current negitive stories about the President. (I bet Harry Whittington is really dead and they have just made up all of these other stories to cover even that up!)

These backward Republicans should all be thrown out of office for this! Because as you know and have seen, Democrates just can't beat Republicans at the voting booth.

What a laugh!

God Bless America

Karl, he shouldn't have been drinking and hunting....just like he shouldn't have been drinking and driving those times he was caught. Snap out of this. This man is irresponsible.
You have a death wish.

Someone is lying about when the President knew or someone needs to be fired. Mr Cheney has a securiy detail run by the Secret Service detail the same that protects our President. Am I to believe one secret service detail did not tell the other that shots were fired. It is SOP for a security detail announce shots fired when they are reacting if they hear shots. According to Mrs Armstrong the security detail was running towards the Vice President.
So are we suppose to not use common sense and believe what ever they say. I think not.

Sanevoice, the Secret Service agents with Cheney know if he was drinking. When this man dies from complications from this shooting, an inquest will be called. This man is in serious medical trouble which can only get worse.

SandyH,

What's scary is that you take this story so seriously. like there is some insidious plot underlying this tragic accident. Something there that you can grab onto to finally bringdown this administration, to prove to all the "Red State" people that they were wrong and tat you were right.

You tell me which is worse:

Current V.P. Richard Cheney has a beer for lunch then goes hunting and accidentally shoots his friend.
(Texas: Home of Sam Houston)

or

Past V.P. Albert Gore goes to Saudi Arabia at the Jeddah Economic Forum and tells them that Arabs in America had been "indiscriminately rounded up... ...and held in conditions that were just unforgivable."
(Saudi Arabia: the home of 19 of the 911 hijackers)

God Bless America

Karl_Rove, while I strongly question your quote, the simple and clear answer is: Shooting a friend is of course much worse than shooting off one's mouth.

Its not that there was a gun mishap, nor that the Vice President was involved that makes this a story. It is that the scene we saw played out was so typical of this Administration; the damage, the silence, the downplay, the turnabout, the heartache, the blank stares. It is the piercing silence over and over that really cuts us, like we are not allowed in on the secret; just outsiders in our own country.

The Bush Administration spent the early days deciding their dominant political philosophy. PlayFair (which served our country well for centuries) or Machiavellian (ends justify the means). Dedicate your life to rules of PlayFair and people naturally understand you will treat them with courtesy, respect, patience and honor, and they generally respond in kind. Like applause. President Reagan was a genius at FairPlay. Same for President Clinton.

The Bush Administration (via Karl Rove) abolished that line of thinking - Tanking the Economy in the first campaign, Swift-boats for Truth and doctored photographs in the second. Energy Task Force, Cherry-picked Intel, California Energy Crisis because Double-Trebble-Qintupple selling the same erg across power lines was considered by The Administration's NEC to be "proper capitalism". Katrina, 24000 worthless trailer homes, career government agents being ignored, diminished, denounced, dismissed....

PlayFair also has rules when dealing with Karl Rovians followers, too. You may suceed, flourish and gain great wealth and power by marginalizing your friends, coworkers and neighbors. But there is that someday, should a mishap occur and things are their bleakest, don't come expecting a handout of sympathy because THERE AINT ANY SYMPATHY LEFT BUB.

PlayFair has a strength above Karl Rovian politics: your friends across the entire political spectrum can be a powerful source of information, insight, muscle (all three kinds) and energy. But pratice cut-throat politics and you will become friendless, drained, and, in the end - forgotten.

Next time Cheney gets liquored up, I'll send him in a SUV with his shotgun to your neighborhood. If a young kid from the hood did that and someone got shot, you'd put him in in jail for life. Don't insult our intelligence.

I am from a red state, and we don't give Brownie points to people who drink irresponsibly. This guy has made a career out of risking other people's safety to satisfy his own selfish vices....on the road and now in the field. He's no friend of anybody who was hunting with him that day.

I find it interesting, Karl (if I may call you Karl), even after learning of an accidental shooting, the Executive Mansion chose to wait until a private citizen established the public facts in this case. It seems there may be several points of view (potentially conflicting?) and Mrs Armstrong's POV was the long pole in the tent.

But don't spend time answering questions on simplistic blather about points of view. My real interest is: who is picking up the check? Hospital bills are not cheap. ICU visits are deficit-defying budget-busters. You might make a case for using that FEMA debit card, but since Vice President Cheney was on a private outing and publically confessed, will he willingly assume personal liability? Or will it be Uncle Sam with another I-O-U?

Man-o-man, I cannot even begin to understand how bad it must feel to almost widow a wife, orphan a couple of kids, then start getting calls in the Executive Mansion from those ambulance chasers representing them.

Karl & Dick, show some class. Send Mr. Whittington a MRI MediAlert bracelet. If he should be brought into an emergency room unconscious and unresponsive, the powerful magnetic field won't just pull the birdshot out as shown in Road Runner cartoons. Be imaginative and consider the flux is rotating and oscillating along two perpendicular plames. But hey! you'se spin that wheel and he's'll takes them chances.

Interesting how Democrats are so quick to judge Republicans for accidents but at the same time want everyone else to forgive and forget their accidents. Here's my questions: Which is worse?

1. Going hunting with your friends and accidentally shooting your friend with birdshot. (Cheney)

2. Getting drunk with your buddies, taking your dead brother's former secretary for a drive (with and expired license), driving your car off the road and into the waters surround Chappaquiddick island, saving yourself and leaving your dead brother's secretary to drown, walking back to your friends and getting someone to drive you back to your hotel, and then calling the police after you've had time to sleep and gather your thoughts. (Senator Ted Kennedy)

"Those in glass houses should not throw stones."

Cheney's hunting trip isn't worth talking about. Anyone that would go hunting with the likes of Cheney deserves something bad happening to them. The Democratic leadership should focus on the real issues instead of trying to make something out of this that don't exist. There is plenty of real personal dirt available on all Republicans and that is what we should be doing. digging that dirt and letting the voters know what these SOB's are really like instead of the great American image they use in their TV ad's. That's what wins, not some stupid incident about Cheney.

Cheney's incident serves to illustrate a point. It points out the attitude that this administration has toward procedures, truth, and taking responsibility for their own actions. It also illustrates the contempt that this administration has for the American public and for laws in general.
As an illustration of the arrogance and hubris of this administration it is an excellent example.
This poisonous attitude which has spread among Bushie supporters and to Republicans in general, works to the detriment of the laws of this country, and policies which affect the common people.
If this incident awaken a lot of people to the true nature of the Bush administration, it will be very important in getting this country out from under the thumbs of those who consider the Constitution of the United States "just a piece of paper".

The_Truth,

You are correct, I would rather ride in a car with Dick Cheney and a shotgun than with Ted Kennedy and a shot-glass, but Kennedy is an old, over used and easy target.

SandyH,

Cheney? He mistakenly shot his friend.

You are a DNC insider. You have seen what mayhem and unrest has occurred simply because of some negative editorial cartoons. Then in the middle of that, we get a previous V.P. Albert Gore saying Arabs in America had been "indiscriminately rounded up, often on minor charges of overstaying a visa or not having a green card in proper order, and held in conditions that were just unforgivable."

Not only this the statement not accurate concerning Arabs in America, but is extremely inflammatory and directed to an already unstable group. Instead of supporting the move of Arabs towards democracy, Albert is out there inciting not only the terrorists but the average Arab individuals by espousing rhetoric that has no basis in truth.

Don't believe me? google it.

Let us agree on one cuase and join in prayer for Harry Whittington, that he has a full recovery.

God Bless America

Good for the statements in this subject that countered the statements made by Republican suppors with the Truth. Godleness is next to truthfulness. If you have received the "LOVE" of the "TRUTH." You will know the truth and it will set you free from the Republican talking points.

Butte,

I agree with you, look at my post of

February 16, 2006 at 03:34 PM

This is amusing. The Republicans butting in here are virtually shrieking and gibbering, and can hardly type one coherent word after another. Their tone is changing. They seem to be overwhelmed with fear, as their whole charade begins to unravel.

You all Know he did not shoot the lawyer on Purpose why do you all think Bush is a murderer???????

Timesurfer,

You must be in a different dimension. This story and how the DNC portrays it brings me joy and elation. It is laughable, the seriousness that the press and the DNC are placing on this story. Understand Mr. Whittington's condition and health is of utmost concern. But the DNC and the press has tried in every way to turn this into a insidious conspiracy of international import.

You say "Republicans are ... gibbering, and can hardly type one coherent word after another" Maybe this is true, but it is only because I have to stop and wipe the tears from my eyes from laughing so hard at the spurious unfounded comments made by you and others. Read my comments, there is no fear there, except what Albert Gore is doing, that scares the hell out of me. But you people here make me chortle gleefully.

It could be that the tone is changing. Republicans are much happy knowing you are trying to turn this accident into something that it is not. Go ahead be paranoid and continue to press these uniformed, miss-guided points. Every time you push things like this the American people see the petty side of the DNC, and lately that is all they have seen. Come November, they will vote for those candidates with vision, who take action and get things done and gain prevalence from their own achievements, and avoid those who's vision is the defeat of others by craftiness and deceit.

God Bless America!

Dear Angry Democrats/Liberals,
When are you going to understand that what "angers" YOU does NOT anger America. Haven't past elections shown you that there are more Republicans/Conservatives than there are of you. Go ahead and be angry but please understand that most Americans do not feel the way you do. YOU may be upset about how a hunting accident was reported but you don't speak for most people. Perhaps you should take all that emotion and start working on an agenda for 2006 and 2008.

Think of it this way, if Clinton shot his best friend we (REPUBLICANS) should not expect that Clinton shot him or her on purpose that would be just stupid!!!

MARK

Did Gore offer the Muslims a drink or shoot them with birdshot? He at least knowa when to say when.

I'm glad to see Whittingham up and apologizing to Cheney for messing up His Lordship's hunting party.

Now that he's up and walking around, it should be interesting to see where all those 15-200 pellets lodged inside his three major organs migrate and what kind of problems he will have to learn to live with as a result.

SandyH,

No, Albert did not. What he did offer in unfounded... No strike that! He offered out right lies about how we as Americans are treating Arabs in this country. Now, the people can go back to their neighborhoods and spread the lies that Albert told, not realizing that they are lies. Because they were spoken by a former Vice President of the United States. How will any of these people know anything else? What will they think of the U.S.A.? his ignorant comment provide a false foundation for hatred. It is a horrible thing Albert did!

Harry Whittington has forgiven Dick Cheney and has said so himself.

Learn from a gracious man.

God Bless America!

I suspect, Karl_Rove, you're so very upset simply because Al Gore was poaching in traditionally Republican turf: Saudi Arabia.

Here's an outrageous, funny blog that addresses how the Bush administration has been able to control the media spin revolving around the shooting... Voila! time travel! http://whatelephant.blogspot.com

Thank God Mr. Whittington was able to walk out of the ICU and deliver a press briefing in the street - a rare occurance and he is truthfully an honorable and gracious man. It was out of pure repect I didnt post last night ... let the man tell his tale and be over with it.

But did we listen? Really listen? A fine, strong voice; a slight tremor of the hand. Mr. Whittington looked as if he could sprint from the microphone and peel treadmarks from the assembled press.

Slips. small ones. Freudian slips are quite interesting. What if the accident happened Friday, as Mr Whittington thinks? A lawyer who most certainly knows what day it is, thank you very much. It would be quite irresponsible to hold Mr. Whittington 24 hours, thinking this was a simple case of birdshot poisoning, brush off the man and he will be fine (as NRA members are quite fond of saying). After all, don't we pay Vice President Cheney's entourage enough that they should do something useful?

The real question is: how do we know where Vice President Cheney is at any certain time? Was Friday night around 6pm just a quickie sport shoot; unload both barrels so the two can have reason to clean their weapons near the fireplace for the next days' festivities?

Meeting Mr. Cheney on Friday does seem plausible. Friday most definitely made an impression on the honorable Mr. Whittington - either because of business or pleasure. I don't fault Mr. Whittington any, nor case aspersions on his character. Hopefully he wil not need to deal with Paparazzi who are looking for that $100K photo of a slip or fall, or that street-side interview about the '"real truth'" of what happened on a ranch in the 3rd smallest county (414 people, 293 possible voters), where the Sherrif & Clerk of the criminal district court is a single elected official.

Did we listen? Did he say enough? I have great interest in what the man still has to say. I guess I will have to damn my ethical standards and start watching Fox News over the next four days. I'm sure Reuters can be relied upon to republish an accurate transcript of the final interview.

GOD Bless the Troops, Mr. Whittington, and everyone else Mr. Cheney placed in Harms Way

The recent hunting accident involving Dick Cheney says something very important about the Vice President. The man is a poor marksman. He might be strapped for cash as well because he neglected to purchase the hunting stamp. Since it is obvious he will not have the opportunity to make an NRA commercial this year let’s make America safe and chip in to buy the man a turkey this Thanksgiving. It’s true that Dick could eat Thanksgiving dinner with George but you know George is going to pardon his bird.

major markey:
Cheney's sloppy hunting practises have absolutely nothing to do with Bush being a murderer, who needs to be impeached.
Bush prefers to use lies and political tactics to kill people. Nothing so straightforward as using a gun and shooting them in the face.
Bush is a murderer because he:
a: used lies and doctored reports to start unilateral agression against another country which resulted in over 2000 deaths(so far) of American military personnel and an uncounted number of Iraqi civilians, especially women and children, who were basically innocent bystanders. This was done callously, deliberately, and with malice aforethought which would make it murder 1.
b: He delayed getting aid to the Louisiana victims of Hurricaine Katrina, even though he got aid to the victims in Mississippi in a more timely manner. Depending on the facts of the case which have yet to come out, this at the minimum, negligent homicide, and if it comes out that Bush deliberately delayed the aid to Louisiana victims in order to bring down the Democrat elected officials to grief, as some have suggested, then that too is murder 1.
These are high crimes and misdemeanors. That Cheney was involved in both cases is a foregone conclusion, and definitely needs to be investigated, also through the impeachment process. It has nothing to do with Cheney's sloppy hunting habits however.
IMPEACH BUSH AND CHENEY, NOW!!!
LEAVENWORTH KANSAS, THE NEW WEST WING OF THE WHITE HOUSE!

The reason that this event has received so much coverage in the press is not because of illegal behavior on behalf of any members of Cheney’s hunting party. The recent events in Texas unfortunately revealed that even when surrounded by members of the secret service, accidents can occur. There can obviously been some tragic side effects when these accidents involve guns. The real issue at hand is the fact that Dick Cheney waited for several days before giving a public interview about the course of events. This meant that if Americans wanted to know what actually happened, they would have to shuffle through the various rumors that had developed.

Recent events did not help cast a favorable light upon Cheney’s decision to hold off on making a public statement. His former chief of staff had recently been indicted on charges of lying about discussions he had with reporters about Valerie Plame and the recently revealed NSA Domestic Spying Program has been receiving harsh criticisms. Since Cheney is frequently associated with maintaining secrecy, the delay in making public statements allowed many people to focus on this negative quality of the vice-president. There is no doubt that the Vice-President did not mean to hurt his hunting companion. His friend would have been better served, however, if Cheney had made a statement sooner because the story would not have grown into the fiasco that it became.

Did we listen? Freudian slips are one thing. Facial expressions are another. Fox, ABC, CBS. Thank goodness for the Olympics on NBC.

But did you watch it on CNN? They don't just show how choked up Mr. Whittington was (as O'Reilly likes to press); CNN's Website showed the whole tragic scene.

Let me say, I believe wholeheartedly that Mr. Whittington said exactly what he wanted to say.

Word for Word.

But, as in life, Words don't necessarily say it all. Watch the guy I nickname Texas Hold 'em, cause this poppinjay is just so transparent and very proud of the speech he wrote. All the classic tells - Facial, popup, winks and nods to his partner bracketing Mr Whittington. CNN Website is truly Your Source for News.

Mr Whittington said (and must have meant) Friday. Look at Texas Hold'ems' eyes pop, glance at the speech on the podium, then glance at his partner. The ventriloquism act that follows is beyond words.

Did we listen? Are we listening well? The Democratic party really needs to assert this "small thing" only because it is symptomatic of the Bush Administration's way of doing things. We need to know the absolute truth (God's Truth) about so many things, if only so we know what we truly are fighting and dying for.

Well, if the behavior of Ted Kennedy in the previous millennium and the behavior of Dick Cheney in the current one have some similarities, aren't they basic to successful politicians?

Don't we learn in Politics 101 that if you do something bad and get caught, you are finished? So isn't it clear a professional politician might have to hide out, cover it up, lie and deny -- just to keep his job?

Could a completely honest man be elected?

Democrats, Republicans, and most other ambitious politicos know that you can fool at least 50.1% of the voting public all of the time (and more, most of the time). Even if you are impeached like Nixon and Clinton, and clearly guilty of the crime, the punishment will be . . . NONE.

Why is this right?

Isn't conflict inevitable for political parties in a democracy? Isn't conflict just another word for war? Isn't deception essential to winning a war.

So why shouldn't we expect partisan democracy to be based on deception?

And why should we whine about it?

Completely honest men have honored and graced this country's highest office. Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, to name two. But to diminish their character by saying there ain't no heroes anymore is just plain cheap and tawdry. John Conyers, Obama and even that other John Whats-his-name still stands for something great, instead of kneeling before the altar of Rove.

Dear Butte,
I cant wait Intel I join the military, one of the greatest things I good do is lay down my life for this country, it is are resposibilits as Americans to fight to rid evil anywhere and everywhere. It is not to huddle in our little confort zone.
Mark

Dear Butte,
I cant wait Intel I join the military, one of the greatest things I good do is lay down my life for this country, it is are resposibilits as Americans to fight to rid evil anywhere and everywhere. It is not to huddle in our little confort zone.
Mark

major Malarky:
You aren't in the military yet??? Do you mean that your claim to the rank of major isn't real then???
Don't insult those of us, who have served, by insinuating that you are already in the the service when you aren't.
As for fighting evil, guess what, that's what I'm doing by opposing Bush & co.

Major Marky,

You don't only have to be in the military to lay down your life for this grand country. The NY Firefighters proved that on 9/11. Police Officers do this everyday. Common airline passengers may be our saving grace.

The point is: America is full of decent people. This isn't a "comfort zone" when we raise our families to follow in our footsteps, as we ourselves continue what our forebears began. Point out evil, yes, of course, absolutely. But be VERY sure you know where the evil lies.

So, to get back on topic: Any chance of Dick Cheney being indicted for uttering false statements to a police officer? Or is this another instance of a "political truth" where Dick Cheney gets to draw blood?

This is serious. If Mr. Whittington and Ms. Armstrong agree to twist the facts of the shooting, won't the Executive Mansion return the favor in kind? These two have got free pass into the White House, but if we don't get down to the truth we cannot gauge how much the US Treasury Vaults are opened to these two individuals.

They've become the ultimate lobbyists with White House American Express Cards.

Cheney's hands are dirtier than just that. His relationship with Halliburton needs to be looked at and thoroughly audited. There really needs to be a special prosecutor looking into this. I would not be surprised that one of the reasons (though not the only reason) for Iraq is to provide an opportunity to put more money into Halliburton's coffers.
How did an oil well drilling and maintaining outfit get to become a major military contractor anyway?
Lying to a police officer is probably the least of Cheney's offenses.
IMPEACH CHENEY!
LEAVENWORTH KANSAS THE NEW WEST WING!

This isn't Chappaquidick? What were Cheney and Whittington doing spending the day cruising around, drinking beers, shooting guns with a couple of single chicks who (by the way) happened to have secured sweet-heart jobs within government?