Cheney shoots a guy
Normally, the above headline would be a joke. A mere farce. Comedy. But not today.
On late Saturday afternoon, Vice President Dick Cheney and Texas lawyer Harry Whittington were out bird hunting. Somehow, the VP managed to point the barrel of the gun at Mr. Whittington and pull the trigger, "spraying" him with "birdshot," and injuring him "in the face, neck and chest."
Ouch. But also odd.
Editor and Publisher has an interesting point.
The answers have yet to surface. All we know if that our VP shot a guy in the face then covered it up for half a day. That doesn't lend much credit to the man's office.
On late Saturday afternoon, Vice President Dick Cheney and Texas lawyer Harry Whittington were out bird hunting. Somehow, the VP managed to point the barrel of the gun at Mr. Whittington and pull the trigger, "spraying" him with "birdshot," and injuring him "in the face, neck and chest."
Ouch. But also odd.
Editor and Publisher has an interesting point.
The delay in announcing the shooting "will likely be the main question asked of the White House about the apparent accidental shooting of a 78-year-old man during a Texas hunting trip by the vice president," the Tribune's James wrote on the Washington bureau's blog at the newspaper's site.According to their timeline, news of the shooting was held for over 18 hours. In Texas, any gun accident/crime must be reported to a local police department right away. But was this shooting reported in such a manor? Wouldn't the press have gotten the story, oh say, 18 hours earlier if standard legal channels had been followed? Does this inaction constitute a crime?
"When a vice president of the U.S. shoots a man under any circumstance," James noted, "that is extremely relevant information. What might be the excuse to justify not immediately making the incident public?"
"The vice president is well-known for preferring to operate in secret....Some secrecy, especially when it comes to the executing the duties of president or vice president, is understandable and expected by Americans."
"But when the vice president's office, or the White House, delays in reporting a shooting like Saturday's to the public via the media, it needlessly raises suspicions and questions of trust. And it may just further the impression held by many, rightly or wrongly, that the White House doesn't place the highest premium on keeping the public fully and immediately informed."
The answers have yet to surface. All we know if that our VP shot a guy in the face then covered it up for half a day. That doesn't lend much credit to the man's office.
