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Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident

By Jeralyn, Section Dick Cheney
Posted on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 12:07:35 PM EST
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Jon Podhoretz at The Corner gets this right:

It seems beyond question that the vice president is going to have to go before the cameras, explain what happened, and show genuine remorse for his actions, however inadvertent. It's a difficult challenge for someone as reticent as Dick Cheney. But unless he does so, and makes a good showing of it, he will be damaged goods for the remainder of the Bush presidency.

Keep the pressure on. Katharine Armstrong may have been an eye-witness, but she's no substitute for hearing from the man himself, both as to his account of the shooting and his explanation for the delay in notifying the press. The response of Cheney's office so far, that the Veep believed Armstrong should make the announcement because the incident occurred on her ranch strains credulity.

Cheney also needs to confirm or deny CBS's report that he refused to be interviewed by the Texas Sheriff.

Raw Story has learned the third hunter present was Pamela Willeford, the U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland. When will we hear her account?

[Graphic created exclusively for TalkLeft by CL.]

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    Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident | 34 comments (34 topical)
    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 12:24:57 PM EST
    It's an interesting dilemma for Cheney, isn't it? The only way he could look good over this would be to say "Yes, it was a terrible error of judgement, I feel very bad about it, and I'll need to think carefully about whether I should continue to hunt." And then not go on any more hunting parties. The window is closing, though. Leave a straight statement like the above too long, and it will appear he was pressured into making it. Attempt to throw blame on Whittington, and he'll look bad to experienced hunters - some of whom would ordinarily be core Republicans - who understand that it was Cheney's fault. Take the blame on himself, and he'll look bad to the vast majority of Republicans who don't hunt and aren't used to hearing the V-P say "Yes, it was entirely my fault" about anything. Since it appears Whittington will recover, I think those of us not core Republicans can simply sit back and enjoy the show, guilt-free.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#2)
    by pigwiggle on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 01:13:13 PM EST
    How does this make the VP 'damaged goods'? Will the senate ignore his procedural role or his president pro tempore, will his vote not count, or will he be unable to advise the president or outline policy? Help me out here; exactly what does the VP do that will be hampered by this accident? It seems to me the VP's power is in his influence on the president; and I don't see how that will change. Come on, folks are incredibly slaphappy over this. Look, the only people who are going to remember this 10 days from now are the same folks who've been calling for the VP's head for years now. They're dying for an embarrassed mea culpa. If there is one I predict they'll all be markedly unsatisfied.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#3)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 01:30:07 PM EST
    I'm with pw on this one. I spent a very social weekend with a bunch of different friends, parents of my kid's friends, adult get-togethers, etc., and no one was talking about this. First I heard of it was on TL this AM. "Cheney shot someone in a hunting accident? Huh. Everyone all right? Good. Hey, did you hear about Michelle Kwan..."

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#4)
    by aw on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 01:39:35 PM EST
    I say pass the popcorn. Cheney apparently gave the order to shoot down the flight over PA; he allegedly gave Libby the greenlight to pass classified information. Sounds like he's more than influential to me (and quite trigger-happy).

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 01:47:49 PM EST
    But unless he does so, and makes a good showing of it, he will be damaged goods for the remainder of the Bush presidency. LOL on this one! According to most libs...he has been "damaged goods" from day one! Isn't there anything 'newsworthy' you all can go on about? 4 different posts on TL about this !!!

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:03:45 PM EST
    This does seem to be amost a non-story of little interest. I'm not sure why there is such glee in some of the previous postings.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:07:20 PM EST
    There are 1,567 news articles on the shooting on Google News right now. Nice try to minimize it, but it won't work. This story's got legs -- texas long ones.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#8)
    by Peaches on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:17:41 PM EST
    When hunting quail, one should always be prepared to shoot willy-nilly at whatever it is that moves. Cheney wouldn't want the terrorist-quail to flee over the Mexican border and hide out in the mountains where the quail might usher threats against Bush/Cheney/US and set up quail training camps for zealot nationalistic fowl. These birdies could be trained to fly suicide-style into Maquiladoras along the borders. No, each perceived beating of the wing should rightly be interpreted by Cheney as a quail, even if it is his hunting buddies' face, and shots should fly. Shoot Cheney! Shoot! Let not the quail birdy escape to the hinterlands!

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#9)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:31:07 PM EST
    "Cheney shot someone in a hunting accident? Huh. Everyone all right? Good. Hey, did you hear about Michelle Kwan..."
    The Great and Terrible Oz: "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!" The Vice President shot another man with a shotgun and put him in the hospital and you were talking about Michelle Kwan? Nice try. This one won't be ignored by the usual distractions. Why I bet even that tabloid news show Fox News will say something about it!

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#10)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:35:10 PM EST
    Speaking for me, no offense, but wasn't trying to minimize anything, just sharing my opinion/observation like everyone else here. Google news is an interesting way to measure newsworthyness. On it "Kwan withdrawal" gets about the same number of hits as "Cheney shotgun" - around 1400. Not sure if there is anything to be gained from it, but, hey, there it is.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#11)
    by desertswine on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:37:53 PM EST
    "Cheney shot someone in a hunting accident? Huh. Everyone all right? Good. Hey, did you hear about Michelle Kwan..."
    Cheney shot Michelle Kwan too?

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#12)
    by pigwiggle on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:50:47 PM EST
    "There are 1,567 news articles on the shooting on Google News right now. Nice try to minimize it, but it won't work. This story's got legs -- texas long ones."
    Google news also has 2,210 stories related to Michelle Kwan bailing on the Olympics. If we look at what are the most popular stories on Google news the VP's f*up appears to rank a close second to Brittany Spear's current drama. Yahoo's most viewed has it second to that woman who just gave birth to a 15 year old kids baby. Legs? Two weeks, tops.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:54:49 PM EST
    PW-you may be right. But what if it turns out that oral sex is involved?

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#14)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:56:03 PM EST
    Legs? That Kwan's got some legs! Badda bing. Ok, I'm done now...

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#15)
    by squeaky on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:56:28 PM EST
    That is over 2.2 million stories at google.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#16)
    by Che's Lounge on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 02:58:52 PM EST
    Maybe it would be easier to treat it like a hunting accident if the Administration would treat it like.. a hunting accident. They're so wrapped up in their own protocols and secrecy that they look like bumbling fools. Again

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#17)
    by Edger on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 03:09:07 PM EST
    Cheney shot himself in the foot? Really???

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#18)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 03:14:05 PM EST
    Posted by Squeaky February 13, 2006 03:54 PM PW-you may be right. But what if it turns out that oral sex is involved?
    ROTFLMAO! Then it would be an impeachable shooting incident.

    Re: Cheney Needs to Speak About Shooting Accident (none / 0) (#19)
    by Edger on Mon Feb 13, 2006 at 03:34:49 PM EST
    Squeaky: PW-you may be right. But what if it turns out that oral sex is involved? Happiness is a warm gun? Ahem...