Why Isn't A VP Shooting A Story Of Some Significance?
Because the VP is a republican who doesn't believe in the rule of law?
Don't worry, Steve. It happened yesterday, got revealed today, will get confirmed and prepped tonight, and will be a constant subject of speculation and ridicule for many days to come.
Patience, patience!
Posted by Toby Petzold at February 12, 2006 10:43 PMIt's a simple rule: stories embarassing to the Bush Junta are not news. They are the uncivil whining of the lefties who hate America.
Posted by James E. Powell at February 12, 2006 10:52 PMI blame the Clenis.
Posted by Repack Rider at February 12, 2006 11:48 PMIt happened yesterday, got revealed today
Toby, do you have any idea what Republicans would have said had Al Gore shot someone? And then concealed the event until it leaked out through uncontrolled channels? Would it suggest something to hide?
When Cheney shot some 70 pheasants that had been raised in cages and then released from nets right in front of him, is that something that Republicans see as "sporting"? Is slaughtering tame animals at close range a Republican idea of fun?
The response time was about the same as for 9/11 and Katrina, a day or so. The president is always the last to find out what everyone else in America knows, so we can expect Mr. Bush to hear about it, mmm, I'm thinking Tuesday.
Scott McLellan won't be able to comment on it, because it will be "under investigation" until 2009.
Posted by Repack Rider at February 13, 2006 12:04 AMWhile I would agree that if this had happend to Gore in the '90's the amount of noise generated would be deafening.
However, this really isn't a story. Sure, its worth mentioning and I truly hope that Whittington is ok, but in the end it is just another hunting accident (even if it turns out to be Cheney's fault). (disclaimer: I'm vegetarian, but certainly don't begrudge people the right to hunt... provided they consume what they take).
The fact that they hid the incident until it was clear that the story would get out is more of a story, but even so, just par for the course for these Keystone Cops.
"Is slaughtering tame animals at close range a Republican idea of fun?"
Repack Rider, I don't know. Why not ask the Iraqis.
...do you have any idea what Republicans would have said had Al Gore shot someone?
Or if Tipper had killed a high school boyfriend with her car?
Posted by pessimist at February 13, 2006 03:35 AMCheney-quiddick.
Wonder if John Kerrey might have a comment about "hunting"?
Posted by Sky-Ho at February 13, 2006 04:21 AMIn addition to why and how the shooting story was delayed there is another story: who pays for it? Who paid for the ambulance ride? Who paid for the ICU costs?
Both W and Dick Head have had several medical tests and Dick Head even had surgery. Who pays for their medical bills? This story should be compared with how the average american is charged for tests and medical treatment. I'd love to have the liberal press send in a reporter to ask W or Dick Head whether or not they are satisfied with their medical care and why all americans are not entitled to the same level of care. The issue of health insurance is a winning Democratic Party issue.
Posted by wlmiller at February 13, 2006 05:11 AMt lst, sm sympthy fr mllnr.
[Editor: ignore=off]Wasn't the last VP to shoot someone Aaron Burr, when he dueled with Alexander Hamilton?
Posted by pdb at February 13, 2006 06:45 AMWhen Ted Kennedy waited a day to report on Chapequidek, he was hounded and is still critized for the delay. Cheney has committed a similar delay. He should be treated no better.
Posted by rlp at February 13, 2006 07:48 AMIs slaughtering tame animals at close range a Republican idea of fun?
Did Cheney shoot Condi or Colin? I didn't hear that.
I didn't know it was illegal for a Prince to shoot a Baron. Who came up with that stupid law? What the fuck use is feudalism if you can't exercise your rights?
Posted by phidipides at February 13, 2006 07:49 AMDick Cheney is demonstrably a murderous criminal. His genocidal deeds are enumerated and detailed everywhere an inquiring mind chooses to explore. Isn’t merely associating with him in a social setting deserving of whatever mishap befalls a person? The U.S. blithely disregards dead Iraqi children because they happen to be in the same bombed dwelling as a suspected terrorist. Why does Wittington deserve any more sympathy? He freely chose to fraternize with a violent sociopath and got hurt in the process. Were he quail hunting with Osama we’d be cheering his shooting. I don’t see where Cheney is any different than Bin Laden.
Posted by steve duncan at February 13, 2006 08:52 AMDiaarm cheney. Disarm bush. Arm the Texas Bobwhite Quail.
Posted by james k. sayre at February 13, 2006 09:18 AMSo now we see that Cheney's "hunt" was canned. A private club, releasing penned raised birds for slaughter. The hunting party shot over 400 animals?
Okay, this is vile, disgusting and despicable.
If you want to shoot for the sake of shooting. Go skeet shooting.
Posted by Simp at February 13, 2006 09:33 AMI'm thinking a man Cheney's age with heart problems probably is not the best candidate for carrying around a loaded gun.
Posted by ann at February 13, 2006 10:07 AM3rd degree felony in Texas:
22.05
"(b) A person[0] commits an offense if he knowingly[0] discharges[0] a
firearm[0] at or in the direction[0] of:
(1) one or more individuals; or
(2) a habitation, building, or vehicle and is reckless
as to whether the habitation, building, or vehicle is occupied.
The average guy would be charged for "reckless endangerment" or "negligent missuse of a firearm" if he accidentally shot a hunting buddy. Unless of course, he had been drinking, then the charge would have been more severe.
Best to wait...
Posted by any-mouse at February 13, 2006 10:34 AM
Best to wait for the BAC to get a lttle lower before announcing what happend.
About the "3rd degree felony" posted above... Texas may have a specific statute for these instances (other hunting states do). Something like "reckless discharge of a firearm while hunting" with a sub-section on injury to persons.
Posted by any-mouse at February 13, 2006 10:40 AM
An apt comment by Jeff at firedoglake:
First of all, I hate canned hunts. They are a big deal here in Texas, but where I come from (South Carolina) we would not consider it "hunting" to go assassinate a bunch of pen-raised birds and game. It is playtime for the rich and wannabe rich, period.Posted by KM at February 13, 2006 12:15 PMSecond, I nearly choked when I read the account of Armstrong: "he came up behind them"....cause, what you normally do is approach shooters in their line of fire, right? And he "didn't make any noise or alert them to his presence"... well, you use dogs to scare up the birds, not a whooping and hollering hunter, and anyone coming up behind a shooter and yelling really loud is quickly going to earn an uninvite to the next hunting or shooting party. "He got peppered....I've been peppered before myself...." Well, yeah, when you are bird hunting it is not unheard of to have shot fall on you at times, but getting an ICU-worthy blast to the head and neck is not "getting peppered," it's getting "shot." And from even Armstrong's friendly description, what happened appears to be that Cheney tracked a bird with his gun at roughly shoulder height, roughly 180 degrees, and then fired. YOU NEVER DO THIS, especially when you have other people in your party that you have not accounted for-- because someone might be coming up behind you, ya know?
I think this is dangerous territory for Cheney et al. There is no good explanation for this, other than being drunk or stupid. Anti-gun people are going to hate the whole thing. Gun people like me are going to hate that he was such a complete idiot.
I think, as other have pointed out, that this is a microcosm of the whole administration:
1. Try to play tough, with a gun, or an army.
2. Fail to follow well-established rules, guidelines, and past experience (either out of ignorance or willful disregard, or both).
3. Get someone hurt or killed.
4. Try to keep the story under wraps for as long as possible.
5. When the story does come out, spin it so that there was no possible way the administration did anything wrong.
6. Blame someone else, where possible, blame the victim.
7. Make anyone who has a problem with it look like an un-American pussy.
Hunting is man versus bear/lion, said man armed only with a knife. THAT is hunting.
All of this other shit is just target practice. Now I don't have anything against hunting per se, but I do have a problem with it being portrayed as something that tough guys do, 'cause you don't have to be very tough to shoot a defenseless, unsuspecting animal.
Hell, if I want meat I'll get it from a store. Yeah, I've shot a few birds out of the sky and whacked some pesky vermin in my day, but I never got any big thrill out of it.
Posted by God Of War at February 13, 2006 12:59 PMKM, thanks for posting that comment, I learned alot from it. (I don't hunt or shoot)
Posted by euzoius at February 13, 2006 02:02 PM"I don’t see where Cheney is any different than Bin Laden."
That's where you're wrong steve. Big Time Dick is responsible for the deaths of far more innocent civilians than OBL. And we haven't even started nuking Iran yet.
And yea, you get capped while hanging out with this despicable war criminal on a canned hunt, you don't get one scintilla of sympathy from me.
Posted by ran at February 13, 2006 05:06 PMJosh Marshall: "It just gets better and better.".
Posted by KM at February 13, 2006 06:17 PMI'd rather hunt with Dick Cheney than ride with ted Kennedy.
Posted by dipshit at February 13, 2006 07:35 PMThe NY Times reports, in passing, that Rove called the lady at the ranch, talked with her, then called the President to inform him. Was Rove cooking up an alibi? Or just sizing up the political aspects of the situation? The Times, naturally, has no interest other than to mention the timeline. But it is fascinating. Perhaps Karl runs the country.
Here's the story, see 3rd paragraph:
http://snipurl.com/mj8y
Posted by Fred at February 13, 2006 08:10 PMI don't personally hunt, but have been on enough quail hunting expeditions (dad and uncle) to know how to freaking hunt. I even know how to clean those pellets out of those quail and fry them up for breakfast.
Carelessness is what happened here. Stupidity. Asswipe stupidness. Popped him in the head for X's sake. Freaking idiot.
Most normal hunters let their dogs go get those birds. I think I read it here -- they weren't hunting wild quail. Just doing it the easy way. Fish in a barrel all that. My uncle's poiners could bring them back ready to eat. What's up with these guys?
Posted by hound at February 13, 2006 10:03 PMWhy hasn't the media asked about Cheney's blood alcohol levels at the time of the shooting? The classic reason why people involved in incidents avoid contact with police (the local sherif's deputy was turned away by the secret service) or the press is because they were drunk when the "accident" happened. Perhaps the delay wasn't just Texas courtesy to the lady who owned the ranch, but a deliberate effort to evade the law, hunting while drunk is illegal.
Also note the ongoing effort to pin the blame on the guy who got shot. How do you "announce yourself" from 30 yards away without scaring away every bird in a hundred yards? You're supposed to shoot AWAY from others in your party, not in any direction you please.
Posted by w-space at February 14, 2006 09:04 AMGet a life, people.
This whole "issue" helps the VP. It makes him look tough and it highlights the gun issue, which always helps Republicans.
Posted by Leonidas at February 14, 2006 10:21 AMAnybody who believes Cheney is worst than OBL has odd priorities. The man who HAS killed the most Arabs in the world is Saddam.
Teddy Kennedy once killed someone and made 76 phone calls. None to police, fire or rescue. Cheney would have had to let old Harry lay there bleeding to death to top Sen. Kennedy.