Though I'm a dirty liberal, I actually put up a post on mu blog defending Cheney. The bottom line is that this is none of our business and that the media really has more important things to be focusing on.

It is typical of what I call the bowel-movement media. "Cheney took a dump? Why weren't we informed immediately?"

Having grown up hunting quail, I have absolutely no sympathy for Cheney. At the least, he was very reckless in handling a shotgun. Though I am not one of the two most powerful men in the world, I have a well trained dog that will stay on point while I look and see where my fellow hunters are. I don't understand how Cheney could be so irresponsible. With the secret service following him on all his hunting trips he should be used to having to watch for non-avian beings. If I were to shoot a friend, even a lawyer friend, I would certainly be criminally charged.

Not to mention, from what I've heard this is an incredibly sissy way to hunt. Its my understanding that he was DRIVEN to a spot where they KNEW RAISED quails would be. Where's the sport in that? No wonder he shot his friend - he had to do SOMETHING to make it more interesting. lol.

It's really hard to believe they could keep it so under wraps for 18 hours or so. You'd think at least one hospital employee would have called the National Enquirer to try and make some money.
And it reflects very poorly on the MSM. Today, they don't find newsworthy stories, they just sit around and wait to be fed a press release.

Let's face it - only bloggers need the media to get material for our blogs.

"accidentally shooting his friend with buckshot in a hunting accident??"

No buckshot is for bucks. Cheney shot him with birdshot for birds which is much less serious, especially with 30+ yards between the two.

"If I were to shoot a friend, even a lawyer friend, I would certainly be criminally charged."

No you wouldn't. Unfortunately this sort of thing isn't that uncommon. People get hurt by "friendly fire" while hunting all the time. Individuals are rarely charged if there is no malice involved. Cheney's situation lacks malice, permanent injury, and someone willing to actually press charges.

This isn't to say that Cheney is blameless here. He definitely screwed up. First on pulling the trigger and second on not knowing where his fellow hunters were. It is possible Whittington also screwed up by leaving the group without telling anybody. He certainly wasn't where he was supposed to be.

Cheney shot a lawyer. Is that even a crime in Texas? Maybe he should take some reporters hunting next time.

Hilarious?

"Man shot and wounded by Vice President Cheney suffers "minor heart attack" after birdshot becomes lodged in his heart, hospital spokesman says."

- CNN Homepage

So much for it being a trivial wound.

Much as most everyone has more cerebral firepower than yourself, Scourge, unfortunately that doesn't include clairvoyance. Of course it isn't funny when a heart attack becomes part of the equation.

In the meantime, continue your pursuit of impeachment of Cheney based on this accident.

Wow, Jason's been all over the 'sphere today, celebrating this poor guy's condition, because it makes Cheney look bad.

No thanks. Shoot first, then find out what you shot at could happen to anyone. I mean who has not shot someone? Right.

However, I will continue to pursue the impeachment of Cheney based the crime of using faked intelligence to get us to go to war with Iraq.

He's an unequal opportunity hater, Rex! ;-)

Good luck, Scourge. Give John Conyers a call. He needs all the help he can get.

Wow, Jason's been all over the 'sphere today, celebrating this poor guy's condition, because it makes Cheney look bad.

Whereas you just make jokes about shooting reporters and lawyers. Right, Rex?

G,

If you think of here and Jttr as "all over the 'sphere" you have a point.

Am I sad that a loathsome old guy shot another loathsome old guy? No, I'm not.

Scourge: hey, you can GET Cheney on the hunting mishap! He was illegally hunting the quail -- he didn't have the necessary $7 stamp on his hunting license!

Call Conyers NOW!

Jason:

I think everyone is free to express an opinion on a public figure like Cheyney. But you also called the victim a loathsome old guy? Why would you say that?

Could it be you are at heart a spiteful, jealous, liberal puke? And you think if people are successful they must have cheated to get there. As a result you believe only the Guvmint can protect an inferior little prick such as yourself against the big, bad system.

Correction: all over the parts of the 'sphere that haven't banned him from posting.

It seems Michael Moore has gotten into the game now, alledging that Whittington has already died, but that the White house is covering it up until they can figure out a way to control the damage to the VP. (This info is from a Liberal friend of mine at work, however, so I don't have actual quotes.)

I could have sworn that I heard on the radio tonight that Whittington died. He had a heart attack because one of the pellets was lodged in his heart....Cheney got five deferments to save VC and US soldiers from undue harm from friendly fire...best joke on the subject.

Rex: You're right. I just checked Moore's site and he is indeed asking the question "How long would it take for them to tell us Whittington died?"

Nice.

Goofy, to be sure. But until Moore a) floats a theory that Cheney shot the guy intentionally, and b) spends millions of dollars to "investigate" it and publicize "evidence" through think tanks and bogus news organizations, we won't quite be in the Vince Foster Zone. So his claim, while dumb, really shouldn't offend any rational conservatives.

If either of those things happen, btw, I'll be the first to blast Moore right here on these very pages! ;)

But you also called the victim a loathsome old guy? Why would you say that?

He's a Republican buddy of Cheney and a "Patriarch of Texas GOP". What more evidience do you need AJ?