Assuming the victim is about 6 feet tall, and Cheney is about 6 feet tall, what kind of quail would only be six feet off the ground?

Cheney would have had the gun almost level with his shoulder to hit the lawyer in the head at 30 yards.

Sould like an ND (negligent discharge) to me.
save_the_rustbelt | 02.13.06 - 6:59 am | #

Cheney was not alone.....so there were other witnesses to the shooting.... Me thinks these men will no longer accompany him if they have half a brain! Let alone keep their mouths shut regarding the incident!

I am really surprised that no one else took the fall for Cheney....
avahome | 02.13.06 - 7:01 am | #

Well, there are several very weird things about this incident.
1. Cheney accidentally swings around and shoots a guy in a bright orange vest coming up behind and it doesn't get reported for 22 hours. We probably won't be seeing any photos of a 78 yr old guy with wounds to the face and neck. Big Red Flag.
2. Everyone says he's "fine" but he's not released from the hospital and he's in fact in ICU. "He is stable and doing well. It was almost like he was spending time with me in my living room," hospital administrator Peter Banko, who visited Whittington, told the Associated Press. Banko said Whittington was in the intensive care unit because his condition warranted it, but he didn't elaborate. Huh? Double Weird Hypocratic Oath Pharmaceutical Red Flag.
3. Armstrong on a hunting trip but was just hanging out in the car? Strangeeooo.
4. No statement issued from Cheney or the WH. You shoot someone but don't utter a word? Double Secret Bone-Chilling Weird. Press says he flew back to DC, but sorry, I don't think so. I'm sure he'll be hanging out in his secret bunker for the foreseeable future.
5. Armstrong is the one who contacted the newspapers. If you're hanging out with Darth Vader and a bunch of guns, you've got to be a dyed-in-the-wool Repug, but why put it on her? And when asked about why it took so long to report, Cheney's spokesperson referred the press to Armstrong. Again, why put it on her? Shiny Object Mucho Weird.
6. The victim not issuing a statement "out of respect for the Vice President." What Emily Post universe does this guy live in? Mega Smell Test Weird.
7. Calling in the Big Gun WHIG Operatives, Mary Matalin is first on the scene and issues the completely unnatural in this context language construction, Cheney :didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to do." Utterly Bizarre Triple Red Flag Alert for Strangeness all the way around.

Karl Rove must be on overdrive trying to figure out what to say.

Here's what Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, said in a statement:
"We'd advise him to pursue a less violent form of relaxation and get on with the important business of leading the country."
meta | 02.13.06 - 7:01 am | #

I want to find out what Whittington's condition actually is. The stonewalling on that is truly interesting b/c you know if he'd just been grazed, they'd been all over the news w/ that. Is he still in ICU?
moe99 | 02.13.06 - 7:01 am | #

I've been hunting with my father -- turkey, not quail -- but I'm baffled about how an experienced hunter made such an idiotic mistake as to swing around and shoot someone.

If you can't notice that someone is in your field of fire, it's time to sell your gun.

Also, the utter sillyness of the news reports --"he came up behind them" -- that's what you're *supposed* to do. Ugh.
neotoma | 02.13.06 - 7:07 am | #

Visual Hunting Aid By fubar Feb 13 2006 - 12:04am Handy identification chart for Vice-Presidential hunting trips
http://www.needlenose.com/
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 7:07 am | #

OT OT: House Judiciary Staff Notes

House Judiciary Meeting today, 3PM EST to review NSA program.

Gonzalez made fatal admissions showing program requirements were known to violate the law, but approved by NSA program managers:

http://constantpated.blogspot.co...- judiciary.html

This is a prep list for the hearing -- pass on to all interested in the NSA hearing today, and those who may have contact with the House Judiciary.
Constant | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:07 am | #

Was Cheney licensed?

Maybe Cheney's next Big-Time Safari could include Bobby Knight, now the Texas Tech basketball coach, who, himself, shot a human while hunting and also paid a fine for being unlicensed (for negligence, too?).

They could hunt prairie dogs around Lubbock, but be vewy, vewy careful!
Larry Piltz | 02.13.06 - 7:08 am | #

My guess as to the delay is that someone in the group had a hip flask and there was drinking going on. Maybe not enough to be legally drunk, but enough to impair judgment. In fact, a bunch of old white guys hunting quail in Texas on a cold day without drinking would suprise me more.
I wonder if a reporter will ever ask that question?
Matt | 02.13.06 - 7:10 am | #

is it just me or does the fellow in the left of the picture look like he has spent a few summers up on brokeback mountain?
rusty | 02.13.06 - 7:12 am | #

I posted about this below,but this seems,to me at least,to call Cheney's mental/physical ability to do his job into question.In a legit non political way.If his judgement is that bad,he has no business in office.Is this his first"lapse"?

I understand accidents happening,to a certain degree,but I grew up with hunters.My dad's father hunted til the year he died,and in over 50 yrs,there was never a hunting accident.Not even a close call.I went with him as a child and like Redd mentioned with her dad,gun safety was just what you did,you followed the rules or you were outta there.It's really simple and easy to be safe too,it doesn't take big skills or anything.

This wasn't a huge hunting party,it's not like there were alot of people to keep track of before he took the shot.

Interesting he's got a medical team following him around,and it's out in the open now.

Funny this comes as a GOP senator is calling for an investigation into Cheney,coincidence?Hmm.
An Angry Old Broad | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:14 am | #

"I don't know how much spray he has got," Banko said. "My understanding from the physicians is that after you get peppered, sometimes they need to do exploratory surgeries if it gets lodged in a little deeper. Sometimes, it's tweezers. I can't really comment on how extensively he was sprayed."

Somebody needs to ask administrator Banko if his hospital has a radiology department....
dru | 02.13.06 - 7:15 am | #

The White House spinners have a tough job on this one because they need to misdirect the story from Cheney's negligence and irresponsibility to some other area of lesser damage. But there really isn't any sensible area to take it to, other than the fact that Cheney was careless, indifferent to all hunting safety rules and then, to top it off, hoped to cover the story up completely. I'm sure that the victim, when he's finally briefed on what to say, will laugh it off as a fluke accident which could happen to anybody, but the truth is that it happens to very, very few. I spent my youth hunting in the woods and fields of Mississippi and I never got "sprayed" by any of the young people I hunted with...because we handled weapons sensibly. But the VP of the United States, shooting a dainty shotgun, could have killed someone by playing Rambo. This is the man who, in an emergency, could have to make a nuclear decision some day. What a frightening thought.
dex | 02.13.06 - 7:18 am | #

Someone pass the pepper mill, please.

I like my cauliflower "peppered".

This is te most fascinating hunting trip spin job this year.
klevenstein | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:19 am | #

rusty: is it just me or does the fellow in the left of the picture look like he has spent a few summers up on brokeback mountain?
rusty
Thanks for our daily dose of homophobia, Rusty.
CAC | 02.13.06 - 7:21 am | #

"35 yards, the 28 puts as much of its shot payload (on a percentage basis) into a 30-inch patterning"
ReddHedd, again, you scooped the world. What is being reported as an "accident" at "thirty yards," sounds like a one in a million shot. I think a lot of us, when we hear "shotgun" immediately went to the conclusion that the WH wanted us to, "a few stray pellets." I suspect that all the forensics is going to confirm that "30 feet" was a lot closer to the actual distance than "30 yards." Evidently, Dick hit what he was aiming at.
If there are any "quantitative types" lurking, it sure would be helpful to get a feel for the odds of a 30 inch diameter hitting anything, at 30 yards versus the estimate of a 30 inch diameter hitting anything at 30 feet. (obviously the patterning would be smaller at 30 feet, but this is just an estimate).
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 7:23 am | #

meta--

Great summary of the curiouser and curioser!

Another point from last thread: Cheney's spokesperson says he visited the victim in the hopital "all afternoon", but the hospital flak says 15 minutes. WTF? You shoot somebody and you're in and out--with a person who's chipper as a canary, by all accounts--in 15 minutes and you LIE about even THAT?

And, no spouses heard from. Can you imagine why the WH spin machine wouldn't be trotting out the Missus if they could?

And I still count one mystery guest. That could be the key to the whole delay. That or the booze. But at least there is an investigation by the local constable, who has to know the world is watching. And to that point, given Cheney's federal status, any chance of federal charges here? Anybody?
froggermarch | 02.13.06 - 7:26 am | #

Another confirmation that Cheney nailed his victim: The blast knocked him down:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story....an/ 3653998.html
ed | 02.13.06 - 7:29 am | #

THIS JUST IN: BREAKING NEWS . . .

the hunting dogs that accompanied 'HAIR TRIGGER DICK' and his shooting pals in TX over the weekend have been identified. their names are 'SANDPAPER' and 'mAnn'. they defend 'HAIR TRIGGER DICK' saying that he has a constitutional right to 'SPRAY' anyone he wishes.

story developing...
iheartjane! | 02.13.06 - 7:29 am | #

A co-ed foursome is very strange in hunting circles. Especially not with your spouse.

Cheating on one's spouse while on a hunting trip, on the other hand, is a long standing southern tradition.
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:30 am | #

Why would someone who is part of the (driveby) "hunting" group be expected to "announce himself"? They came together. Whittington was part of the party. Everyone knew he was there, somewhere.

I think Cheney was drunk. Armstrong was in the car with the motor running drinking whisky and they all took those long hours between shooting and reporting to sober up.
TR | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:30 am | #

My measly two cents: I think a covey of quail was flushed within 5 yards of Cheney, who was spooked / heart-evented, dropped his gun, which discharged in the direction of, and struck Whittington with its blast. Triage determined that Cheney needed his heart-event tended to first, thus the delay getting Whittington to the Corpus Christi hospital.
credjam | 02.13.06 - 7:30 am | #

Courtesy of Pandagon:

Of course, quail hunting was my nemesis when I was a teenager, because while I never shot a bird, for some reason, it was expected that I would just love the feather-plucking, birdshot removing aftermath.

Update: Just a reminder to my beloved blue state liberal brethern–while it’s thigh-slappingly hilarious that Cheney shot his friend, try to avoid sounding scandalized. It was birdshot–it’s not really a big fucking deal.

Do all shooting accidents result in a criminal investigation? If so, are these reports public information? It won't happen, but, could Cheney be sued for damages? Is this going to be this week's screw up or is there more to come? Did G. Washington have this info before the rest of us because of his wiretapping abilities? Suppose the accident was in reverse, and Cheney was shot, would Gitmo have a new resident? Bill Maher is going to have an easy first week back!
Mel | 02.13.06 - 7:32 am | #

[EPU-ed on last thread and added-to here]
Why the 22-hour coverup???
Why the 22-hour coverup???
Why the 22-hour coverup????
Think we can trust the MSM to thoroughly investigate this one?

And another question, a couples-weekend for two ol' white farts not with their wives...whaddya suppose the RW "values" crowd would say if this were a Dem politician? What was it Kissinger said about power being the greatest aphrodisiac?

And, as a sometime hunter, what these guys were doing is NO WAY hunting, anymore than that shoot-the-ducks carny game is hunting.
Prairie Sunshine | 02.13.06 - 7:33 am | #

Can we do a FOIA request for any information about the victim's medical status on admission to the hospital?

Also, how long will it be before we see a picture of the victim? Not to be too gross about it, but his face is likely to be in pretty terrible shape right now.

If it was truly just a little "peppering" of shot, the victim should be out and walking around soon...

But, if the truth is something else, we will not see this guy in public for a long long time.
anon | 02.13.06 - 7:34 am | #

I second save-the-rustbelt's question about the height of the birds.

I also want to know if there were any dogs on the hunt (pointing or flushing?)

Why would you ever shoot so close to the ground when you're hunting something that flies?

Isn't shooting birds on the ground (or just taking off) not considered to be sporting?
lagarita | 02.13.06 - 7:35 am | #

Prairie Sunshine,

They were hunting in a hurry, because coming home with a catch is the onlky way you can cover up the southern luvin from the misses.
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:36 am | #

If February was the month to build up to the aerial bombardment of Iran in March.... The silence from OVP may be a desperate attempt to put this thing to sleep before it derails the time table. How does Dick go on Press The Meat to argue for bombing Iran when people have this mental image of him as a crazed/incompetent (take your pick) hunter?

And waiting for blood alcohol levels to drop before reporting it sounds like the most plausible explanation for the delay. Alternatively they may have wanted the victim discharged from ICU before they reported it. Obviously it's telling that he's still in there.....
Taylor | 02.13.06 - 7:36 am | #

22 hours--Chappaquiddickesque, almost....

Thanks for he analysis!
Canid | 02.13.06 - 7:36 am | #

[NOTE: Originally posted in the Eschaton comments, but worth passing on]

This incident reminds me of something Molly Ivins talked about in speeches, the whooping crane story:

But, nevertheless, we were on the trail and in no time flat we discovered that the guy had a couple of minor traffic violations and, a couple of years earlier, in fact the year earlier, he was out hunting and he accidentally shot a whooping crane and then he accidentally buried the whooping crane...

[Laughter]

I’m not making this up...

[Laughter]

...and as a result, he had to pay a $15,000 dollar fine under what, in Texas, we call the Endangered Species Act, and we all thought that was pretty stiff.
And we reported this in the papers and, of course, Texas is a state full of hunters. Now we got a bunch of Texans saying, "Well, hell. Anybody can accidentally hit a whooper, you know...

[Laughter]

...not going to get excited about a deal like that."

Well, but we stayed on the case and we able to report that he accidentally shot the crane while on a duck hunt.

Now...your whooper is a large bird. Your whooper runs to about five feet tall. Your duck...

[Laughter]

Now we got a whole state full of hunters saying, "You know, if this sum-bitch too dumb to tell a duck from a whooper, he shouldn’t be running public utilities." And the guy had to withdraw.

-----------------------

The PR folks in the Vice President's office had best not try to shuck and jive the hunters of this country.

They're the type to forgive all kinds of political tomfoolery, but know a BS story about a hunting accident when they hear it.
Uncle Smokes | 02.13.06 - 7:37 am | #

I mentioned this in a thread on Esschaton, but this story easily could've been killed by the blizzard if they released the details at 8 PM on saturday or so. Though I was reminded, it's not the crime, but the cover-up. Now we'll be talking about this the first part of the week.
jrm78 | 02.13.06 - 7:37 am | #

No pictures of Whittington available - and there probably won't be. It would take some serious guerilla/gonzo work to sneak into the hospital to get that shot, admittedly, but I'd think that a *lot* of folks might want that picture.

I wonder if the Secret Service is guarding Whttington?
jayt | 02.13.06 - 7:37 am | #

the thing that strikes me is that from the account people in cheney's group were walking toward a group of birds and the victim was behind this group. I'm assuming at that point there were fellow hunters to the left and right of dirty dick, pretty much in a line as no one hunting this way wants to get too far ahead of the group. it's my understanding that each person covers pretty much a cone of area in front of them, unless they were taking turns and the cone was widened to allow him to shoot birds in front of other hunters.

ok, a bird flushes and cheney tracks this bird...it must have been very low flying if cheney was able to shoot at the bird and hit a walking victim, which means as he wheeled 180 to follow the bird he probably was also aiming at people to his left or right throughout his turn.

cheney shouldn't be allowed near a gun, and i would never get afield with someone as idiotic.
jdw | 02.13.06 - 7:38 am | #

Did anyone else see GMA? The local reporter (whose name I missed) that got the call from Armstrong and wrote the story, called the White House on Sunday for a comment. They tried to tell her to call on Monday when the public affairs office would be open! At least the person answering the phone knew nothing about it. When the reporter said "The VP shot someone while hunting and he's in the hospital" (paraphrased) they got right on it.

So what's this about Bush and Card being notified on Saturday?
TheOtherWA | 02.13.06 - 7:38 am | #

I spoke to a few people I know (down here in Texas of course) who are avid gun owners/hunters about this incident. The consensus is "shit happens".

They don't agree completely with the meme that it's the shooters responsibility solely. They agree that the shooter is at fault, but they believe the other guy probably behaved stupidly as well and should share just as much of the blame.

The most consistent thing I heard though is why was he aiming so low? Was the quail already down and he was trying to finish it off? Most say that when quail hunting, you almost never lower your gone past 45 degrees for obvious safety concerns. Plus it's just more sporting to hit a moving target in the air. As one said, "if I wanted to shoot birds on the ground, I'd just go by a bunch of frozen chickens and toss them around the yard."

Another thing to note that someone will have to check on: I've been told that when you are on private property in Texas the normal hunting laws don't apply. That is what needs to be reviewed. Texas laws regarding hunting on private property. I believe it renders just about everything legal in that situation.

I agree with Redd though, something is very fishy about this situation. Why would they have the property owner speaking to the press as opposed to one of the 3000 lackeys these guys have to deal with the media? Makey no sense. Then there's the whole gauge issue that tweaks my interest. To hear about the actual gauge and the distance really makes me wonder what isn't being said.
Zergle | 02.13.06 - 7:39 am | #

EXCLUSIVE: First Photo of Cheney Shooting Victim

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ bo...of_b_15538.html
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:39 am | #

Here's what it's covering for.


Duh.
el cabra guapo | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:40 am | #

for what it is worth, Whittington was involved in bush's funeralgate scandal:
http://www.bushwatch.com/gravedigger.htm
Spooked | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:40 am | #

I serious doubts as to whether Cheney was drinking with his ticker.

But I don't doubt for a minute that Lynne had no idea he was on a co-ed hunting trip.
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:41 am | #

"-- a problem I, thankfully, don't have to deal with on a daily basis any longer. "

Don't forget that the moonbatishly crazy coulter and malkin can become unhinged at the drop of a drudgian hat tip. Protect yourself accordingly.
moeman | 02.13.06 - 7:41 am | #

Okay, maybe this is easy to debunk, but I'll bite anyway. Sometimes a reason is hiding in plain sight.

In this case--could the cover-up have anything to do with the fact that this little hunting expedition could have been a double date?? (So romantic, no?)

They mention a fifth hunter, but so far all I've heard about are the Messrs Cheney and Whittington and the Mesdames Armstrong and Willeford. What made me take notice was an article's referrence to Armstrong's "ex" husband.

If the spouses were also at the ranch, then this is all wet. But if not, is it possible that even if it wasn't a romantic date, Cheney didn't tell Lynne what he was up to Texas?

Or--more likely--the press spinners were covering this up because of the appearance of it being a double date?

Since I can tell nobody is buying this, here's what I thought was a priceless quote about Whittington from today's WaPo:

" 'His dignified presence belies a fierce competitive spirit and antipathy toward government power,' the Austin American-Statesman wrote in a profile of Whittington published last July."

Nothing like quail-hunting with the Veep to express your "antipathy toward government." Guess it doesn't count 'cause Cheney shares that same antipathy....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp...21200524_2.html

------
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 7:42 am | #

Spooked,

I posted that a few times last night and couldn't even get anyone to reply to it.

It just strikes me as strange that the one guy who probably would know if Bush perjured himself back then winds up getting shot by Cheney.

I suppose it would be far fetched to wonder if Cheney wasn't trying to lean on Whittington for some backup dirt in case Bush & Rove try unload some (near) dead weight and decide to throw him to the wolves. Not why he shot him, mind you (Oh but wouldn't that be something if Cheney did go all Tony Soprano on him. lol) but why he was down there hunting with him in the first place as Senators on both sides of the aisle have just started calling for an investigation into his ordering the leaking of classified info.
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:42 am | #

Anne kornlut wrote an article about this incident which is on numerous websites. I googled Cheney, then within googled 30 feet. I found her article on the San Fran Chronicle website...it says Cheney was 30 feet away from the victim. Her article on the NY Times website says 30 yards. There is a big difference between the two. Why the inconsistency within the same article on different websites?
Edmund | 02.13.06 - 7:43 am | #

Of course there is always the possibility that this guy told him what he really thought of the laws and how Cheney is breaking them willy nilly. I can see Cheney just hauling off and shooting him from anger. Wouldn't put it past him for a second.
Zergle | 02.13.06 - 7:44 am | #

Where are the photos of Whittington?

If he's really OK, photos would show this.
Phoenix Woman | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:45 am | #

Thanks for your comments on gun safety, and your creds, ReddHedd. I grew up in a hunting family, too, and gun safety was Rule #1. Inviolate.

Everything you said...exactly right. Here in Minn-ND we play by the same rules.

No self-respecting hunter [which of course these pot-shooters are not] would go out with Cheney or his ilk again.
Prairie Sunshine | 02.13.06 - 7:45 am | #

Oops--just catching up with last night's thread, and it looks as if others, inc. Rayne, have already floated this theory....

---
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 7:46 am | #

Excellent post, RH.

Here is a nice and simple shot gun primer in pdf:

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildl...DF/ chapter1.pdf

On page 7, you'll see that the outside range of a 28 gauge that usually is using a #6 half load -- almost always lead shot -- is 20-30 yards. After that, the spread is too wide to be effective.

There is one hunt load -- I think remington produces it, for the 28 gauge which is brass shot, which might get the range to just about 30 yards.

Now, I have never packed my own cartridges, so I don't know how many #6 fit into the 1/2 charge, but if this guy actually got at least fifty pellets in the face and neck, my guess is he was closer to 15 to 20 yards away. And therefor in full view.

I lived in Texas for years and hunted at my friend's family ranch on the Nueces. They had gas leases and oil leases and hunt leases (for guys like Cheney). They also reserved about 1000 acres for their own use and we would hunt deer, wild pig, turkey, quail and of course, dove. Did some great fishing there as well. And we ate everything we caught or shot.

As you suggest, what happens on a hunt lease (which is just a set-side part of someones lnd rented for hunting purposes) often stays on the ranch. I have been with guys who were idiots and have never gotten in a truck with them again. Guns are scary.

I really just don't see how this could have happened without arrogance or alcohol -- or probably both.
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 7:46 am | #

Maybe it's just covering for the fact that Dick swung around and fired without looking.

Generally speaking - When quail hunting in groups, you usually fan out roughly in a line about 20-30 yards apart and walk forward. The bird dogs find and point to the birds. You would usually only fire in about a 150 degree radius in front of you.

If anybody ever "swung around", they would most likely be sent back to camp and never invited to hunt again.
chris/tx | 02.13.06 - 7:47 am | #

Redd:

Have I told you lately that I love you?
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 7:47 am | #

I wish people would stop saying that Cheney is an "experienced hunter". Riding around game farms in a car, blasting away at domesticated fowl, isn't hunting. Not in the least.

It's slaughter.

Please, start referring to this creep as a "serial slaughterer". If I was a hunter, I'd be insulted to be compared to that asshole.
Bob Adams | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:47 am | #

Did Cheney have a valid Texas hunting license? And what about the three other hunters/eyewitnesses whom Armstrong (and the White House) won't name? Did they have hunting licenses, too?

One can infer from the New York Times that the Secret Service notified the local Sheriff after the fact, by telephone, and there was no investigation or visit to the crime scene: "'It was accidental, a hunting accident,' Sheriff Ramon Salinas III of Kenedy County said from his office in Sarita, Tex., adding that the Secret Service notified him Saturday of the incident. 'They did what they had to according to law.'"

(Sheriff Salinas doesn't sound particularly interested in getting to the bottom of things here, so I'm glad you're on the case, ReddHedd.... Great entry....)
QuickSilver | 02.13.06 - 7:48 am | #

A couple things to consider, for all you non-hunters out there.

The size of the shot pattern is controlled by the choke at the end of the barrel.

The lead shot used for quail is small compared to what you'd use for pheasants or other large birds.

Consequently, the amount of damage will be a factor of the distance - apparently 30 yards - the choke, and the size of the shot - perhaps 7 1/2s in this case.

As for who's at fault - two things to keep in mind.

Number one. Everyone makes mistakes. Everyone. But serious, ethical hunters always put safety in front of everything else, and they do their damndest not to shoot anyone or anything except their intended quarry.

Number two. If you shoot someone else, you, and you alone, are responsible. No excuses, no "he wasn't supposed to be there" or "I didn't see him." If you're going to discharge weapons, you need to be certain you're doing so safely. Nothing else is acceptable.
The hunter in the crowd | 02.13.06 - 7:48 am | #

Spooked -- what I've heard from a couple of folks in the know in Texas is that Whittington is the guy who cleaned up the mess -- and that he's a straight-arrow sort of guy who is something of a reformer. Has worked on prison reform issues and disabled rights issues in Texas -- a sort of old-time conservative, as opposed to a Bush-ite "my way or the highway" sort of conservative.

Which makes me wonder why he was hunting with Cheney, since the two don't seem to be cut from the same mold. But both men have long-standing ties to the Armstrong family, so maybe it was just a coincidence of scheduling or something.
ReddHedd | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:49 am | #

He's not issuing a statement so he doesn't have answer questions or lie.
St. Vitus | 02.13.06 - 7:49 am | #

BBC radio edition on NPR this morning said
"Well, If you're going to get shot, I guess it is somewhat of an honor to get shot by the Vice President"...

Spinning their little british asses off.
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:49 am | #

ReddHedd, you're forgetting the administration's, and especially the VP's office's, SOP: when in doubt, conceal and lie. Whenever anything politically embarrassing happens, no matter how trivial (remember that non-existent threat to Air Force One on Bush's secret trip to Iraq?), it's their default response. It doesn't mean there's anything sinister. These guys do a lot of sinister things, so often it turns out they are covering up something sinister, but these days it's not a reasonable inference from the fact that their story doesn't make sense. Their story never makes sense.
Ginger Yellow | 02.13.06 - 7:51 am | #

When you're hunting an enemy as dangerous and resolute as a terrorist you can't let things like civil rights and century's old traditions of liberty stand in the way.

The same goes for quail. We're going to make mistakes. We're going to lose some good men. But at the end of the day do you want to be thinking that there are quail out there plotting their plots and planning their plans when if we weren't so careful following "gun safety practices" we'd be safer.
hoipolloi | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:51 am | #

Redd-

You are spot on with your estimates...I had figured 7 shot, modified choke would give a maximum spread of 3 ft. at 30 yrds. I, too, grew up hunting, with the strict ethic of eat what you kill, and an absolute respect for firearms. Safety and muzzle control...ALWAYS.

So it appears the guy got very lucky, and did not land a direct hit to the eye or to a major artery (at least as far as we know). The fact remains, he's got a bunch of LEAD pellets floating around (may require chelation later?), near cranial nerves, he's at high risk for infection, and if he's anything like half the 70+ yr old folks I see in the ER, he's being treated for some sort of cardiac condition which may include rhythm disturbance and blood-thinner therapy.

Tin Foil Hat Alert: Does anyone wonder whether there was a dust-up between the VP's faction and the Armstrong Clan about when to release this? I'm thinking the Armstrongs knew the story would get out, and personally didn't want to look like THEY were covering up a shooting on their ranch by such a bozo, VP or not. I think Cheney would have held on to it even longer if he could have. Armstrong came forward after she knew the victim was in "stable" condition and was likely to stay that way?
DairyMaid | 02.13.06 - 7:52 am | #

City Girl,

I thought the Whittington "antipathy to government power" might suggest he and Cheney were arguing about -- well -- government power, like spying and leaking classified info. etc.

But really, I just think Dick was a drunk Dick, not a dead-eye Dick.
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 7:52 am | #

ESPN is still carrying this as one of their top stories.
"VP Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter" Associated Press — Feb. 12, 2006
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets
http://espn.go.com/outdoors/hunt...12/ 2328636.html
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 7:52 am | #

Born in a hunting family too. You shoot someone while hunting, it's your fault. Period.

And you'd never ever want to pick up that hunting gun again.
bcf | 02.13.06 - 7:53 am | #

Sounds like an arugment that went bad.

Bono is Brian Peppers!
Alex | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:54 am | #

btw, that's Wayne LaPierre of the NRA handing Cheney a gun in the picture above

The greatest thing about that picture is that you can totally see Dick thinking about hunting humans in it.
SuperTroy | 02.13.06 - 7:55 am | #

The time delay/ cover-up seems likely an attempt to keep an extra-marital double-date quiet.

Any mention of the identities of any other hunters if there really were any?
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 7:55 am | #

Dude is lucky he escaped with the injuries sustained.
Cheney usually hunts quail with an RPG.
Little bastards look a lot like doves.

~
mkultramaroon | 02.13.06 - 7:59 am | #

I'd just like to speak up for the 28-gauge shotgun. While it's certainly suitable for kids (shot mine for the first time when I was 6) and the infirm, it is also an ideal weapon for shooting tweety.

If the reports had said they were quail hunting with a 12-gague, I'd have thought they were hacks.
arr-squared | 02.13.06 - 8:00 am | #

From the NRA HQ site:

"NRA Gun Safety Rules
Available as a brochure
The fundamental NRA rules for safe gun handling are:

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
This is the primary rule of gun safety. A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle or front end of the barrel is pointed at all times. Common sense dictates the safest direction, depending on different circumstances.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
When holding a gun, rest your finger on the trigger guard or along the side of the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Whenever you pick up a gun, immediately engage the safety device if possible, and, if the gun has a magazine, remove it before opening the action and looking into the chamber(s) which should be clear of ammunition. If you do not know how to open the action or inspect the chamber(s), leave the gun alone and get help from someone who does.

When using or storing a gun, always follow these NRA rules:
Know your target and what is beyond.
Be absolutely sure you have identified your target beyond any doubt. Equally important, be aware of the area beyond your target. This means observing your prospective area of fire before you shoot. Never fire in a direction in which there are people or any other potential for mishap. Think first. Shoot second.
Know how to use the gun safely.
Before handling a gun, learn how it operates. Know its basic parts, how to safely open and close the action and remove any ammunition from the gun or magazine. Remember, a gun's mechanical safety device is never foolproof. Nothing can ever replace safe gun handling.
Be sure the gun is safe to operate.
Just like other tools, guns need regular maintenance to remain operable. Regular cleaning and proper storage are a part of the gun's general upkeep. If there is any question concerning a gun's ability to function, a knowledgeable gunsmith should look at it.
Use only the correct ammunition for your gun.
Only BBs, pellets, cartridges or shells designed for a particular gun can be fired safely in that gun. Most guns have the ammunition type stamped on the barrel. Ammunition can be identified by information printed on the box and sometimes stamped on the cartridge. Do not shoot the gun unless you know you have the proper ammunition.
Wear eye and ear protection as appropriate.
Guns are loud and the noise can cause hearing damage. They can also emit debris and hot gas that could cause eye injury. For these reasons, shooting glasses and hearing protectors should be worn by shooters and spectators.
Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting.
Alcohol, as well as any other substance likely to impair normal mental or physical bodily functions, must not be used before or while handling or shooting guns.
Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.
Many factors must be considered when deciding where and how to store guns. A person's particular situation will be a major part of the consideration. Dozens of gun storage devices, as well as locking devices that attach directly to the gun, are available. However, mechanical locking devices, like the mechanical safeties built into guns, can fail and should not be used as a substitute for safe gun handling and the observance of all gun safety rules.
Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting activities require additional safety precautions.
Cleaning
Regular cleaning is important in order for your gun to operate correctly and safely. Taking proper care of it will also maintain its value and extend its life. Your gun should be cleaned every time that it is used.
A gun brought out of prolonged storage should also be cleaned before shooting. Accumulated moisture and dirt, or solidified grease and oil, can prevent the gun from operating properly.

Before cleaning your gun, make absolutely sure that it is unloaded. The gun's action should be open during the cleaning process. Also, be sure that no ammunition is present in the cleaning area."

Looks to me like Veep Errant Brrrr broke four rules:

1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.

Know your target and what is beyond.

Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting.

Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting activities require additional safety precautions.

As far as Whittington is concerned, he didn't break ANY of these rules in the incident, Cheney broke them all.

BTW, the NRA affiliates with an operation in New Mexico named the Whittington Center:

http://www.nrawc.org/

The NRA calls it "the most comprehensive shooting facility in America today."
Anonymous | 02.13.06 - 8:00 am | #

ReddHedd, I apologize if you already saw this. I thought this article portrayed Whittington in a less favorable light. Ex-funeral agency chief settles suit 11/09/2001
By GEORGE KUEMPEL / The Dallas Morning News AUSTIN – "A former state funeral home regulator who said she was wrongfully fired for investigating a large funeral home chain operated by a longtime family friend ofGeorge W. Bush has settled her 2-year-old whistleblower lawsuit for $210,000.
The state will pay Eliza May and her lawyers $155,000 and Houston-based Service Corp. International will pay $55,000, said sources familiar with the agreement.
Ms. May contended in her lawsuit that she was fired in 1999 as executive director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission after SCI Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Waltrip met with Joe Allbaugh, a top aide to Mr. Bush while he was governor, to complain about the agency's investigation of the company's homes.
After the investigation, fines totaling about $450,000 were assessed against more than 20 of SCI's affiliated funeral homes for using unlicensed embalmers. SCI has appealed, and a state hearings officer is expected to rule soon on the case.
Neither SCI, Mr. Bush nor any of the other defendants admit wrongdoing under the terms of the settlement. Attorney General John Cornyn, who was also named as a defendant as a result of a legal opinion he wrote that was favorable to SCI, represented the state in the case.
SCI spokesman Greg Bolton said only that the case has been settled to everyone's satisfaction.
"I'm told all of the parties to this litigation and their attorneys have agreed to a compromise settlement agreement, which has resulted in the dismissal of all claims," he said.
Harry Whittington of Austin..."
http://www.bushwatch.com/gravedigger.htm
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:00 am | #

Although off topic, ThinkProgress mentions something that may be noteworthy:

Indictment motherload. “Thomas W. Noe, the coin dealer and prominent Republican contributor whose $50 million state coin investment sparked one of the biggest state government scandals in Ohio history, was indicted today on 53 felonies.” Coingate explained here. 10:42 am

Link: http://thinkprogress.org/
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 8:00 am | #

Time to spread our own "Vincent Foster Murdered!" conspiracy slander theories.

Political hit job. Let them have to deny it - over and over and over and over. . .

LOL
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:01 am | #

Stephen Parrish,

That is excellent news, thanks.

Excellent for justice and excellent for the chance to retake the house this Fall. Dare I hope for Dewine's fall and a Dem. Senate as well?
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:03 am | #

Why would you ever shoot so close to the ground when you're hunting something that flies?

If the target you typically shoot at is normally held down by CIA operatives?
MasonMcD | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:03 am | #

Holy crap, Stephen -- that is big news. A whole lot of Republicans in Ohio are tied in to the Noe's little smarmy network.
ReddHedd | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:04 am | #

Speaking as a 20-year veteran of The-Big-ICU-In-Knife-And-Gun-Club-Territory, there is no way in hell that the victim is relatively uninjured.

Shotgun injuries are some of the worst cases I have taken care of, due to the spread-shot nature of the wounds. If the victim got "peppered" in the neck, there are waaaayyyy too many important structures in that small space (oh, like maybe one of the internal or external carotid arteries) for this to be a "no big deal" situation. If any of the pellets nicks a blood vessel, it may travel as far as it can go--I took care of a kid shot in the chest and some pellets eneded up in his ankle, blocking the bloodflow, leading to an amputation. In this situation, add to that the victim's age and potential underlying medical problems--this is huge.

These days, God Almighty doesn't get to stay in the ICU unless it is absolutely imperative that He do so.

This stinks worse than a gangrenous leg....
LittleBit | 02.13.06 - 8:04 am | #

Double date?

http://atrios.blogspot.com/ 2006_...984503700240422
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:04 am | #

Question:

Are quail low-flying birds? Because to have hit this man the shot would have been aimed at a target that was approximately six feet off the ground, right?
mainer | 02.13.06 - 8:06 am | #

I think that the WH didn't know Cheney shot someone and that's why the switchboard didn't have a PR person ready.

I think Dick just figures he can do whatever and not account to anyone.
OldCoastie | 02.13.06 - 8:07 am | #

Are quail low-flying birds?

Definately. The trick is to get them while they are working hard to get airborn -- they are slower then.
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:08 am | #

Whoa.

What a funny idea! Silence on the accident because the men/women were not all with the people they were supposed to be with, and needed time to work that out?

Anybody heard from Mrs. Whittington lately?
DairyMaid | 02.13.06 - 8:09 am | #

I have a new nickname for ol' Crashcart.
watertiger | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:11 am | #

Cheny doesn't seem to me like a person who would quickly swing around 180 degrees while tracking a quail. He moves in slow motion.
Quill | 02.13.06 - 8:12 am | #

neojoe below dubbed the fourth in the party, the ambasador: "Swiss Miss"

I love it!
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:12 am | #

"Noe indicted in coin scandal
53 felony counts carry possible sentence of 175 years in prison"
By Mark Niquette
The Columbus Dispatch
Monday, February 13, 2006 11:05 AM
TOLEDO -- Thomas W. Noe, the coin dealer and prominent Republican contributor whose $50 million state coin investment sparked one of the biggest scandals in Ohio state government history, was indicted today on 53 felonies, including theft of more than $1 million.
The charges include engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, 11 counts of theft, 11 of money laundering, 8 of tampering with records and 22 of forgery. He could be sentenced to a maximum 175 years in prison, although such a sentence is considered unlikely."
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/...hp? story=166155
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:12 am | #

Littlebit:

Thanks for that. I was trying to make the same general point last night, with less direct medical knowledge.

I find it real curious we have no statement from the victim or from his family. We have a quote attributed to a family member, from what I can tell, but no direct quote from a family member.

This injury could kill this man, if not right away, with complications downstream. He's not 19 year old IED fodder.

I'm not persuaded this is not a helluva lot bigger than these initial reports suggest.
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:12 am | #

Thank you Redd, for explaining the common sense rules of hunting to us non-hunters. It all makes sense. Hunting safety, I mean. Not this situation.

Cheney and Willeford moved to the second covey. Unbeknownst to either of them, Armstrong said, Whittington had walked back near the group and was about 30 yards to the right of the vice president when Cheney fired at birds emerging from the covey.

Then how did Whittington get shot on the right side of his face? Wouldn't have had to have been on Cheney's left?

Whittington was taken by helicopter to Corpus Christi's Christus Spohn Memorial Hospital, she said. His wife, Mercedes, made the trip to the hospital with him, but Cheney, Armstrong and Willeford did not.

This is the first mention of Whittington's wife. No mention if she was hunting with them.

Armstrong was with the hunting party but in a nearby vehicle with her sister.

There's one more hunting companion. Unless Willeford is Armstrong's sister, but I doubt it since Willeford is said to have been hunting, not sitting in a vehicle.

All quotes from http://www.statesman.com/news/co...2/ 13cheney.html

Thanks for the headsup on Noe. It's about damned time they indicted his ass.
TheOtherWA | 02.13.06 - 8:13 am | #

Wartertiger,

"Blam Blam" --

Ouch!
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:13 am | #

A history of women on cheney hunting trips?

Perry said Cheney was among the first to deplane, followed by Scalia and a young woman who was identified to Perry as one of the justice's daughters.

Both Perry and Naquin said there were orders prohibiting photographs of those who exited the planes and climbed into the motorcade.
http://www.commondreams.org/head...s04/0205- 02.htm

Was this really scalia's daughter, and if so, why prohibit photos?
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:13 am | #

LittleBit,

I too am an RN and work mostly Med/SurG but float a bit ta ICU AND I worked ER/Pre-op and on the Orthosurgical team in an evac hospital in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam...there is no way that this guy is "laughing and talking" about bein' shot by a narrow pattern shotgun blast at close range (and 30 yards is close). Even if that 28 gauge had birdshot, the blast velocity and narrow pattern would take out a big hunk a this guy's neck and if he got it in the face as well as neck...well you ken figure it out.

Somethin really stinks here and it ain't my feet...

KEEP THE FAITH AND DON'T LET FASCISTS HAVE GUNS!!
NorskeFlamethrower | 02.13.06 - 8:13 am | #

Jeez. Cheney can't even accept responsibility for shooting his friend. He's careless, swings around and shoots his friend, then blames it on him.

http://www.tsra.com/HntAccdt.htm
"The primary reason for Texas hunting accidents remains swinging on game outside a safe zone of fire. This happens when a person points a firearm at another hunter while following a moving target, such as a flying game bird. Hunter education teaches people to set up safe zones of fire where a gun can be safely pointed whether the target is moving or stationary."

...
"Dove hunting had close to twice the number of accidents (11) as the next highest accident category for 2004, deer hunting (6). This is because hunting birds on the wing involves the greatest risk of swinging on game outside the safe zone of fire."

Sounds a lot like what happened here. Cheney fired out of his safe zone of fire.

Just own up to it.
anotherpawn | 02.13.06 - 8:14 am | #

From WaPo Politics Hour-live at 11am

Frederick, Md.: Good morning Peter...why did Cheney's office delay reporting the Vice President's shooting accident? Why wasn't a statement (from Cheney's office)issued immediately? Was it just a courtesy to the Armstrongs... proper protocol, etc. Anything else brewing here?

Peter Baker: Good morning. It's a good question, and the one that's being asked a lot in Washington today. This morning's gaggle (an off-camera briefing) with Scott McClellan at the White House focused almost exclusively on this very question. It turns out that President Bush, Karl Rove, Andy Card and McClellan all knew about the incident Saturday night but, says McClellan, they decided to defer to the vice president's office. His office said they decided to defer to the ranch owner, Katharine Armstrong, who called the local paper the next day. I'm not sure there is a standard protocol when the vice president shoots someone, but it's fair to say reporters prefer that news be disclosed in a timely fashion.
ceci | 02.13.06 - 8:16 am | #

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.

Second, 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.
Jeff | 02.13.06 - 8:16 am | #

Redd:
Having grown up in a large city, I have only shot at ranges. I appreciate your tutorial on hunting and hunting safety. Thank you.

A question that may have been addressed already. Was the 22-hour "delay" the time between the incident and the time that Armstrong notified the press, or was it the time between the incident and the time that law enforcement officials were notified?

I assume that it's the former. If it's the latter, why did not the hospital notify law enforcement officials immediately? Isn't that a law with respect to gunshot wounds? (Or does that vary from state-to-state?)
sonate | 02.13.06 - 8:16 am | #

Has anyone considered the possibility that Bush was part of that hunting party? Maybe the time lag in reporting the incident to the police and media gave the White House time to fire up Air Force One and get Dubya back to Washington so he wouldn't be associated with it.

And one other thing- alcohol. Wouldn't surprise me in the least if this thing happened because Big Time was shitfaced. I realize there is no chance in hell that Texas authorities performed a breathalyzer test on Cheney, but I wonder if the time lag in reporting the shooting provided enough time to make sure that there wouldn't be any trace on his breath or in his bloodstream?
Islander | 02.13.06 - 8:17 am | #

"Anybody heard from Mrs. Whittington lately?"
Dairy Maid, I think you maybe on to something.
Pach, thanks for those "double date" pics.
The newscycle is waiting on pics of Mr. Whittington and comments from the spouses.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:17 am | #

Direland has some pretty good speculation on what might have happened:
http://direland.typepad.com/direland/
Do we really think old Vice President Goutytoes was actually tramping through the mud or shooting out the window of a truck? Also, with an on call ambulance why was Whittington not admitted to the hospital until 8:30pm when the incident supposedly took place at 5:30pm? Could the old Dickster been literally shooting in the dark after sunset, which, by the way, is illegal in TX even on private land?
Lurkylou | 02.13.06 - 8:18 am | #

P.S.

If the victim was shot in the head and neck from 30 yards, it was a well-aimed shot...boy do I wanna see photos of that wound...what the hell is goin' on here??! Only Jane could write a script that makes any sense a this scenario.

KEEP THE FAITH AND MAYBE THEY'LL KILL THEMSELVES OFF!!!
NorskeFlamethrower | 02.13.06 - 8:19 am | #

"Thanks for your comments on gun safety, and your creds, ReddHedd. I grew up in a hunting family, too, and gun safety was Rule #1. Inviolate."

same here, and it's not like this is the first time he's picked up a gun.
hmm | 02.13.06 - 8:19 am | #

save_the_rustbelt @ 6:59: "and Cheney is about 6 feet tall, what kind of quail would only be six feet off the ground?"

Good point, but I think he was firing even lower. Bush is only about 5'10" and Cheney is markedly shorter than that, probably about 5'7" or 5'8". So he was practically shooting into the ground.

Probably trying to finish off a bird that was trying desperately to get away, fine sporting fellow that he is.
Constant Reader | 02.13.06 - 8:20 am | #

"I'm not sure there is a standard protocol when the vice president shoots someone, but it's fair to say reporters prefer that news be disclosed in a timely fashion." LOL
As a bonus, a WaPo reporter wrote this. John (WATB) Harris, Jim (Church Lady) Brady and Debbie (nobody can say fuck except me) Howell will not be happy.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:20 am | #

So how "in the bag" was Oily Dick Cheney when he shotgunned the ancient lawyer? Might explain why they waited hours to take the old codger to the hospital. What hasn't been reported in the MSM is the fact that VP was actually out at the "hunt club" for a dual-purpose weekend. The first reason is obvious: To massacre defenseless "farmed" birds. But the main reason was a photo-shoot. Mr. Cheney has signed on as the Official spokesman for "Nature's Viagra". The ad copy can be seen at
http://www,bruindesign.com
W2Hague | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:21 am | #

Thanks Ceci for the WaPo quote.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:21 am | #

Lurkylou,

excellent paradigm shift -- maybe he was shot after dark? Accidental discharge after shots (of whiskey) after dark?

Or maybe they just kept him at the ranch for an hour or so, hoping he wouldn't have to go to any hospital....
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:21 am | #

sonate,

Quicksilver pointed this out above...

One can infer from the New York Times that the Secret Service notified the local Sheriff after the fact, by telephone, and there was no investigation or visit to the crime scene: "'It was accidental, a hunting accident,' Sheriff Ramon Salinas III of Kenedy County said from his office in Sarita, Tex., adding that the Secret Service notified him Saturday of the incident. 'They did what they had to according to law.'"
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/ 1...artner=homepage
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:22 am | #

Maybe I'm just more forgiving, but this sounds like a legitimate hunting accident to me.

Firearms primer:
The gauge of the shotgun has no relevance to the size of the shot pattern, but only to it's density. By changing what are called "choke tubes", the pattern size can be varied from 50% to 90% of the shot inside a 30" circle at 30 yards. For quail, I use a choke for 60%-70%. The shot used was likely #7 1/2 or #8, which is approximately 0.09" diameter. There are about 400-450 pellets per ounce, depending on which shot was used. From the above, we can see that a 12 gauge, by virtue of firing more shot, can achieve much higher shot densities. The 28 gauge is a reasonable choice for quail hunting. (Journalists are the best choice for Dan Quaile hunting)

When quail hunting, the birds tend to flush within 5-10 yards of the hunters. They fly very low, up to eight feet off the ground depending on vegetation, and swerve around brush and trees.

Shotgunning is also very different from rifle shooting. The shooter looks only at the bird (or skeet) and relies on practice to fire the gun far enough ahead of the bird so the shot column intercepts it. Instead of looking down the barrel before shooting (a good way to miss every time), a shotgunning party relies on setting clear fire zones and knowing where the other members of the party are before shooting. It is common in both quail and dove hunting to shoot the foliage of a tree or bush (not Bush) when the bird flies behind or around it.

From the reporting so far, it looks like two errors were made. The birds flushed and flew behind the hunting line, so Cheney followed them into what is usually a no-fire zone since he thought it was clear. In addition, the victim seperated from the group and was not exercising due diligence when rejoining. Primary fault to Cheney, secondary to the victim.

In Texas, there were 29 hunting accidents in 2004, 10 of which were similar to this one when dove or quail hunting. There were 44 accidents in 2003, 15 similar. The majority of the victims were struck in the head, face, and shoulder. There were more than a million hunters each year. Reports here: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publ...nter_education/

As far as the delay in reporting - is it really immediately newsworthy? Who is immediately affected, other than members of the hunting party and their families? Since the first report is usually wrong, is it better to wait before reporting it to the news?

That does not apply to law enforcement, though. I would expect a Texas Game Warden, Sheriff's deputy, or DPS officer to have been informed immediately for the investigation.
Karl | 02.13.06 - 8:24 am | #

I think the delay in disclosure might be the fact the victim may well have died. If so, there spin machine had to work a lot of permutations to the story. The fact the man is still in ICU indicates something more than being sprayed by shot.
blank kludge | 02.13.06 - 8:25 am | #

I'm surprised the birds weren't crazy-glued to the ground.
watertiger | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:28 am | #

EPU'ed from last thread

IMO, drinking was involved in this whole affair, but I think it may be more than alcohol...
"l'amour, l'amour,
tourjour l'amour"

Let me throw this out. This situation is all the more curious because we now
a. have the third party, who is heretofore not mentioned, revealed to be the appointed ambassador blah blah blah(what is her background/history/crony connection?), but importantly FEMALE.
b. have two men out at the ranch on a lunch/dinner date and shooting quail (not to mention shooting the breeze) with two ladies.
c. have a 18-24 hour delay in reporting, thus giving time for the couples to get the stories straight.

d. have Dead-eye Dick making sure we know that he shows up at the hospital with the victim's wife....GREAT PR!!!!
(Where was victim's wife before all this?)
(Where was Lynne Cheney?)
(We know that Armstrong is divorced, so we don't need to find out about her husband.)
(and what of Ms. Swiss-Miss?)


Excuse me if I'm reading too much into the tea leaves, BUT if this find band of "sport" enthuisiasts wish to keep their hunting "affairs" private, we are fooling ourselves if we think anything like the truth will be coming out of their mouths.
neojoe | 02.13.06 - 8:28 am | #

ALL the questions at the WaPo's online chat, props to Ceci, so far are about Dick's shooting. What's noteworthy is that the WaPo is going with it. They aren't trying to "tamp it down." This suggests that Rover, the WH, and the rest of the Rethugs are going to let "Dead eye Dick" take the front page of the newscycle over for at least the time being.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:30 am | #

If Cheney were a democrat, he'd immediately have been denounced as "careless" and "irresponsible" by the gun lobby.
Tom | 02.13.06 - 8:30 am | #

http://bern.usembassy.gov/ ambass...ambassador.html

Pamela Willeford grew up in Breckenridge, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. She has two adult children, and is married to Austin physician Dr. George Willeford, III.

No mention of the husband being there.
TheOtherWA | 02.13.06 - 8:30 am | #

Sorry to go ot but i got excited....

"Intelligence officials identify what
outed CIA agent was working on... Developing..."

this ia a rawstory headline. I heard on the radio (wnyc) that plame was involved with iran not iraq and its nuclear capabilities.
Should be an interesting news day.
Anonymous | 02.13.06 - 8:31 am | #

Redd, -- you're amazing. The lady knows hunting! The Repubs are in deep yoghurt.

Re earlier speculation that Repubs may seek to get the VP to resign. I would expect the Repubs to try to characterize a voluntary resignation of Cheney as cleaning house. "Everything that was wrong was basically coming from Cheney. Now he's gone."

Dems need to be doing everything they possibly can, strarting now, to tie Bush to Cheney -- use every op to say: "Everything Cheney did was what Bush wanted done -- and Cheney was merely the useful hatchet man. Bush never disavowed anything Cheney did, and he even refused to force Cheney to resign when it was clear that he (and Rove) made a mess out of Plamegate. The problem is Bush, and getting rid of Cheney doesn't solve the basic problem. And if Bush was not responsible for Cheney, then Bush was a weak president that allowed his VP to be the de facto Pres. We can't affort a weak, clueless Prez."
Tie them together, so that if the Repubs dump Cheney, which they probably will, they're not allowed to spin it as a plus for Bush.

Getting Cheney is important, but it shouldn't be the end game. (no pun intended) I think the shooting will uncover itself -- the press loves this stuff -- and the key is finding who the other witnesses were and forcing Scotty to answer questions about this, every day. Force the WH to continue what the public already understand is a coverup.

Our focus should be how the politics plays out wrt to Bush.
scarecrow | 02.13.06 - 8:31 am | #

Just a couple of things to add that others seem to have missed.

The shot circle for any gun depends on the choke, not the guage. A 12 guage full choke will generally produce the same circle of shot as a full choke 20 or 28 guage. What changes is the shot density since each of these shells has a different volume and carries more or less shot.

Quail are generally shot with size 7 or size 8 load (smaller than BBs). They are small birds so you need more shot density to try to hit the bird with at least 2 pellets for a clean kill.

Ducks are usually shot with size 6. Geese with fairly large 4's or BB size. That makes for lower density but these are proportionally larger birds so you can still get those 2 pellets in there.

Dogs are not often used to "flush" quail. Quail hold very well for pointing dogs. The dogs should then retrieve the birds on command and are invaluable to find cripples that are almost invisble to human eyes in the dense brush if they don't move.

When a dog points a covey of quail there is generally ample time to make a plan. Like, "You stand here and I'll walk in from the right and flush the birds so they'll fly into the wind and pass you right to left." for example.

This also allows the shooter to get closer to the covey, usually within 20 yards. And that's why quail hunters usually hunt with modified
or open choke guns which is safer.

At 30 yards, an open choke pattern would spread to have enough distance between pellets (at least 10 inches or a foot with a 28 guage) that it could not do the kind of damage that this guy apparently suffered.

Also 7 or 8 shot is tiny and therefore has less mass and carries less energy at the same veleocity. That means it won't penetrate very far especially at 30 yards after it has been slowed greatly by the air resistance.

Most importantly, bird hunting accidents are almost always caused by one thing. People walking around with their gun off safety - ready to shoot in case a bird flushes. Shotguns are designed so that the safety is accessible to your thumb while your trigger finger is poised on the trigger.

Before I ever enter a field with someone I've never hunted with I stop and say OK, here's the deal, "I will not hunt with anyone here who does not agree to keep their gun on safe at all times until the moment just before they pull the trigger. If you don't want to do that tell me now and I'll go hunt somewhere else."

The story they are telling doesn't make sense to me. My guess is that Cheney's open choke 28 guage gun was being carried off safety and that he dropped it or stumbled and it went off accidentally hitting his partner at about 15 yards range or less. Of course, the story that the victim approached from behind unnannounced and therefore was at fault sounds good to someone who has never hunted quail - but it's a crock.

And finally, only a drunk, an asshole or a drunk asshole would ever shoot their partner or their dog.
Uranius Pelican | 02.13.06 - 8:32 am | #

Karl,

This thing is anything but a "legitimate hunting accident" now...the delay in reporting to law enforcement is just a part of it. Everything around the incident calls up gross negligence and the failure to report makes all actions suspect. I wanna know the victim's condition now and is there law enforcement investigating?

KEEP THE FAITH...GOOD FASCISTS DON'T LET OTHER FASCISTS SHOOT OTHER FASCISTS!!
NorskeFlamethrower | 02.13.06 - 8:32 am | #

I don't know about the "stink" factor here. Myself, I think that Cheney feared embarrassment, especially given the Admin's (and his) run of bad luck in the press of late. The "stink" is the stink of fear, of cowardice. The stink given off by someone who just can't take responsibility for their actions and, once caught out in a stupid mistake, simply cannot own up and admit to making a mistake. Also, you may have hit on part of the "stink" too when you mentioned the constantly "on call" ambulance that follows Cheney around like a fly following a pig.

Fortunately, the mistake wasn't of the fatal variety...except to Cheney's overabundant and misplaced pride.
Praedor Atrebates | 02.13.06 - 8:33 am | #

John Casper,

The alternative to letting Cheney get the news cycle is letting the Katrina Report, the Noe Indictment or the Abramhof hearts Bush story take the lede (or is that "take the lead" in this case?).
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:34 am | #

I think Dick the Sith had himself a flashback. Wrinkly, older man - Libby's face super imposed on Whittington, Dick shoots.

Why wasn't GWB with him -dammit, he never gets any fun.
Jules | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:34 am | #

Hmmm...doesn't get reported for 22 hours...40 years later they're still on Ted Kennedy for failure to report his accident. I wonder how much wailing and gnashing of teeth (to say nothing of rending of garments) we'll hear from the wingnuts over Cheney's failure to obey the law...
Nacho Mama | 02.13.06 - 8:35 am | #

Why has no one asked the obvious question: Did the victim lose an eye?

Any debris at that velocity towards the face would certainly injure the eye socket, let alone the eye itself? Is that the disturbing detail they don't want out -- that Cheney is responsible for blinding a prominent contributor?
cgeye | 02.13.06 - 8:37 am | #

immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:34 am | Couldn't agree more. Trying to plant stories about "progress" in Iraq isn't easy either.
IMO "Dead Eye Dick" is a story that has the mythic and narrative features that resonate with a disillusioned electorate in ways that Libby, Abramoff, the Iraq Occupation, the debt, the price of oil, and so many more don't. But, "Dead Eye Dick" can "carry" all those other stories in the mind of a lot of voters who still think the the corporate media has a "liberal" bias.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:40 am | #

Cheney hightailed it back to the Mrs in DC instead of hanging around the guy he just shot cuz he had some splainin to do why he was down there huntin quail with some fine ass tail and not just a couple other good ole boys.

http://atrios.blogspot.com/ 2006_...984503700240422
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:40 am | #

Thought for the day: someone with a weapon can actually sneak up behind Separated-at-Birth. Second thought: can we cut the Fedeal budget for veep security, since Separated-at-Birth can defend himself? Third thought: when is the stop-time for hunting in the Texas law books? 30 minutes after sunset?
Honest Response | 02.13.06 - 8:40 am | #

What about the status of the Secret Service officers? They are officers of the court, no? If they assured the sherriff it was an accident, why is CNN reporting it is under investigation? By whom?

And to my earlier question, if it is a federal crime to shoot a Vice-President, would it not also be a federal crime for the Vice-President to do the shooting, to the extent that there might be a crime? Reckless endangerment comes to mind, at very least. So who has jurisdiction here? ATF?
froggermarch | 02.13.06 - 8:42 am | #

NorskeFlamethrower,

There was NO delay in reporting to law enforcement. Just to the media.

"It was accidental, a hunting accident," Sheriff Ramon Salinas III of Kenedy County said from his office in Sarita, Tex., adding that the Secret Service notified him Saturday of the episode. "They did what they had to according to law."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/ 1...artner=homepage
sans-culotte | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:42 am | #

Karl, since no one's replied per se so far, I'll take a shot, heh-heh.

Yes, and Vince Foster's death was a "legitimate suicide," but that didn't stop the wingers from running with every crazy, Clinton-hating smear they could (to this day).

Yes, we have to be better than they are, no we need never stoop to the lowest of their tactics.

But--lordy--this is a GIFT. There are in fact legitimate questions to be asked about the circumstances (see Redd's post). Moreover, this incident is a metaphor for so much of what this Administration has screwed up.

The public's eyes may glaze over when they see FISA and NSA wiretap and Plamegate, but when they hear accidental shooting you have their attention. A teachable moment.

Also an opportunity to use weapons of mass derision--the effectiveness of ridicule and humiliation in this instance are not to be underestimated.

---
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 8:42 am | #

Just a couple of things to add that others seem to have missed.

The shot circle for any gun depends on the choke, not the guage. A 12 guage full choke will generally produce the same circle of shot as a full choke 20 or 28 guage. What changes is the shot density since each of these shells has a different volume and carries more or less shot.

Quail are generally shot with size 7 or size 8 load (smaller than BBs). They are small birds so you need more shot density to try to hit the bird with at least 2 pellets for a clean kill.

Ducks are usually shot with size 6. Geese with fairly large 4's or BB size. That makes for lower density but these are proportionally larger birds so you can still get those 2 pellets in there.

Dogs are not often used to "flush" quail. Quail hold very well for pointing dogs. The dogs should then retrieve the birds on command and are invaluable to find cripples that are almost invisble to human eyes in the dense brush if they don't move.

When a dog points a covey of quail there is generally ample time to make a plan. Like, "You stand here and I'll walk in from the right and flush the birds so they'll fly into the wind and pass you right to left." for example.

This also allows the shooter to get closer to the covey, usually within 20 yards. And that's why quail hunters usually hunt with modified
or open choke guns which is safer.

At 30 yards, an open choke pattern would spread to have enough distance between pellets (at least 10 inches or a foot with a 28 guage) that it could not do the kind of damage that this guy apparently suffered.

Also 7 or 8 shot is tiny and therefore has less mass and carries less energy at the same veleocity. That means it won't penetrate very far especially at 30 yards after it has been slowed greatly by the air resistance.

Most importantly, bird hunting accidents are almost always caused by one thing. People walking around with their gun off safety - ready to shoot in case a bird flushes. Shotguns are designed so that the safety is accessible to your thumb while your trigger finger is poised on the trigger.

Before I ever enter a field with someone I've never hunted with I stop and say OK, here's the deal, "I will not hunt with anyone here who does not agree to keep their gun on safe at all times until the moment just before they pull the trigger. If you don't want to do that tell me now and I'll go hunt somewhere else."

The story they are telling doesn't make sense to me. My guess is that Cheney's open choke 28 guage gun was being carried off safety and that he dropped it or stumbled and it went off accidentally hitting his partner at about 15 yards range or less. Of course, the story that the victim approached from behind unnannounced and therefore was at fault sounds good to someone who has never hunted quail - but it's a crock.

And finally, only a drunk, an asshole or a drunk asshole would ever shoot their partner or their dog.
Uranius Pelican | 02.13.06 - 8:44 am | #

when is the stop-time for hunting in the Texas law books? 30 minutes after sunset?
Honest Response | 02.13.06 - 8:40 am | #

It's 30 minutes BEFORE sunset, according to an earlier post. Which makes the 5:30 time for a 6:15 sunset VERY convenient.

Cutting it close, weren't we?
froggermarch | 02.13.06 - 8:44 am | #

Kentucky Governor Hospitalized
The Associated Press February 13, 2006; 9:33 AM FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Gov. Ernie Fletcher was hospitalized for what doctors believe may be gall stones, his spokeswoman said Monday. The Republican governor..."-
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp...6021300427.html
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:45 am | #

scarecrow: Appreciate your point.

I would add that sooner rather than later, McCain and Allen, as the frontrunners for the GOP '08 nomination, need the full on FDL oppo research treatment.

We must increase their negatives right away, and not wait until '07 or '08.

That's what they do to our probable nominees, well in advance. But I'm glad they are focused on Hillary, since I don't believe she will actually be the nominee.
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:45 am | #

Of course one puts the victim in the ICU -- he was 77 years old!! And how can getting shot at that age NOT be serious!?
sunlihgt | 02.13.06 - 8:46 am | #

City Girl: I agree. This incident if played right is worth building a whole narrative, a whole framing for the GOP and what's wrong with it.

Incompetence, coverup, lying, class privelege, you name it.
Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:47 am | #

Jeff - 8:16 am

You are exactly right. But let me append to #6:
"even if it's your friend".
anotherpawn | 02.13.06 - 8:47 am | #

Uranius Pelican | 02.13.06 - 8:44 am |
Thanks so much for this very helpful comment.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:48 am | #

So, they're gonna let this run the current news cycle?

While this was posted above?

"Intelligence officials identify what
outed CIA agent was working on... Developing..."

Plame working on IRAN not Iraq?

That may be what they don't want known.
blank kludge | 02.13.06 - 8:48 am | #

Thanks, Pach. That means a lot coming from you. I hope your Dad is going to be okay. We have been through similar.

--
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 8:50 am | #

Dick Cheney now joins Aaron Burr as one of the two vice presidents to shoot someone while in office
Jan | 02.13.06 - 8:50 am | #

CityGirl,

Let me continue your riff a bit -- did anyone read David Brooks yyesterday? I was so mad! Here is the nut graph:

On one side we have conservatives making ambitious assertions about executive authority. On the other, we have liberals making wild allegations about invasions of privacy that have nothing to do with the narrow program the president actually authorized. On the right you have Dick Cheney worrying about the return of Frank Church and on the left you have Howard Dean vaporizing about the return of Dick Nixon

Get it?

Conservatives make "ambitious assertions" while liberals make "wild allegations." Cheney "worries" while Dean "vaporizes."

At every turn, the right wing machine tries to make the left look like effeminate insane people. And mostly they succeed in the press. It is certainly a type of Republican sexism -- to say that female qualities (wild allegations, vaporizing [whatever that means] and being hysterical) are bad and should be the basis for rejecting the critics' points.

Cheney is a careless man --

with facts, with the nations security, with young men's and women's lives, with secrets, and yes, children, even with guns.

That is why this is so much more than a simple hunting accident.

To quote Scotty: "It is what it is."
immanentize | 02.13.06 - 8:51 am | #

Albeit a site frequented by conspiracy theorists, Jeff Wells digs up a few interesting tidbits (and some likely disinformation) here.

Focus on the Halliburton connections in the text (are they correct?).

Click on the link about Big Time Dick's endowment and rumored habits at your own risk. Work safe but unsavory.
kelley b. | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:54 am | #

I think there may have been alcohol involved. That is why they wanted to wait. Another possibility is they needed time to get their stories straight and how Ms. Anderson would tell it to the press. Now that was probably crafted by Rove, because he was called in and informed on this early on.

I too as a kid would go out hunting with my dad. I was like you, just walking around, not a hunter. My father was an alcoholic and he was under the influence one time when the gun went off. It just missed me. My mother was angry, my father was in an alcoholic silence. It is that dumbfounded look they get when their behavior comes crashing into the addiction.
I have read that Cheney has gotten 4 DUI's. In the world of addiction that spells a problem, a serious problem with alcohol. Has Cheney quit drinking due to his heart problems? Many of these hunting party folks drink while hunting.
Diane | 02.13.06 - 8:54 am | #

I expect that the Vice President was firing a load of 7 1/2 shot. At 30 yards, with an improved cylinder choke he would have a pattern of about 30" in which about 70% of his shot should go. That would have put a pellet about every couple of inches. Those pellets still have enough velocity to penetrate a couple of of inches of flesh. Their removal is more than the equivalent of pulling splinters. With a 78 year old man, the injuries get more problematic.

The flight of a flushed quail, even one that is pen raised, is dramatic. The bird will rise and often dive to fly in a low and twisting fashion. While they really aren't all that fast as birds go, they seem fast. Cheney was probably turning and focusing on a bird. He fired well within the range where his shotgun could have deadly effects on both the bird and this hunting partner. As ReddHedd said in the post, this is a violation of the most basic rule of hunter safety.

Going beyond the unsafe decision at the moment Cheney fired, the Cheney decisions after the "accident" are even worse. He has not taken responsibility for wounding his hunting partner. This is not optional; he surely knows where responsibility lies and he surely knows that the victim can never be at fault in a case like this. The affair is contemptable both for the initial injury and the posturing of the Vice President afterward. The NRA should be calling the Vice President on this.
Salmo | 02.13.06 - 8:55 am | #

Why has no one asked the obvious question: Did the victim lose an eye?

Any debris at that velocity towards the face would certainly injure the eye socket, let alone the eye itself? Is that the disturbing detail they don't want out -- that Cheney is responsible for blinding a prominent contributor?
cgeye | 02.13.06 - 8:55 am | #

About speculations of a double-date: can Cheney really perform now? I doubt it.
marky | 02.13.06 - 8:55 am | #

Pach -- right. Tie them all to Bush. Who has clean hands here? so Frame the "problem" as all the Bush things that virtually all Repubs supported. To get away from the Bush tie, they'd have to split the party. McCain is more Bush than Bush wrt to the war, spying. But the battle to replace Cheney could be chaotic, all while the rest of the scandals are unravelling. Thinking through all possible scenarios makes my head hurt.

Re the shooting, ABC news has a report up from the CC hospital that says the quail is "very stable" and that placement in ICU is standard for such wounds. No real description of the actual wound, and nothing new that I could see re the events.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/w...TC- RSSFeeds0312

When is Scotty's gaggle?
scarecrow | 02.13.06 - 8:57 am | #

Karl -

Well put and dead on accurate!
Thanks!
Trainer | 02.13.06 - 8:57 am | #

Ummm....

Is anybody looking into whether that was steel or lead shot that found it's way into Whittington?

Using lead shot is a crime these days.
logico-philosophicus | 02.13.06 - 8:57 am | #

Thanks Norske and Little Bit, I was thinking all those things last night, too. I think this is less about who was there than what has happened to the guy. Given his age, the vast array of preexisting conditions he could have and the many, many possibilites for significant damage available in the head and neck, that is where my concerns still lie. I think he has been hurt far worse than is being reported and anything else he has will be complicated by the shooting. I remain intrested in whether there has been damage to his eyes and mouth, absolutely affecting his quality of life and ability to function.

He's also a very rich man, so if it were at all possible for him to be discharged, he could go home and have lots of private care for his wounds and various conditions. That he is still in ICU indicates to me that there are 1) more serious wounds than we've been told, 2) he had more trouble with the surgery than is being reported- maybe cardiac or pulmonary issues and 3) no easy answers for Scotty or OVP to give until this guy can make a statement or show his face.

I also just wanted to say that I wish folks would knock of the Chappaquiddick jokes and comments. Ted Kennedy has been one of the only voices in the Senate speaking the truth about this criminal administration and is becoming more and more involved in blogs and blogging. He was also one of a very few senators pushing forward the filibuster of the Alito nomination and is one of a few senators who is really not cynical when he talks about "serving the American People". The incident is decades old, but people still trot it out when they seem to have nothing better to say, feeding the freeper meme and damaging one of our best resources. He is at the top of the short list for Senators Jane gave the Comey vote list to on the Judiciary committee and has participated in at least one conference call with her. I don't think we want to be burning that bridge and think we owe him more than a tossed off, convenient slam.

end of that particular rant

thanks
zennurse | 02.13.06 - 8:58 am | #

TIME MAGAZINE
"How Did Dick Cheney Break the No.1 Rule of Hunting?"
For veteran sportsmen like the vice president, safety is a core value
By TIMOTHY J. BURGER/WASHINGTON
Posted Monday, Feb. 13, 2006
The cardinal rule of hunting could not be more simple: Don’t shoot the people (or the dogs).
http://www.time.com/time/nation/ ...1159061,00.html
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 8:59 am | #

Just as a FYI, a check on sunset in Corpus Christi on Saturday (http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html) will show that it was at 6:18 PM CST
Poopyman | 02.13.06 - 9:01 am | #

Redd - I'm so glad you wrote this. I was going to put something up about a hunter not walking up on a party waving madly announcing his arrival, but since my hunting experience isn't extensive I figured I would wait.

I have been quail hunting. We were shooting for food, not sport and I also grew up in a family that hunts mostly game birds. We also hunted with dogs and you're right. You wait until the birds have taken flight and are above shoulder height before shooting. I have also trailed a lone bird to try to bring it down, but at all times I knew where my safe area was. I can't imagine turning in a 180 and shooting back toward an area that I hadn't determined was safe.

My older brother is a big redneck hunter...well...I mean he's a redneck, he doesn't hunt rednecks! He also happens to be a prosecutor here in NC, so I'm going to see if I can get his take on this one. Oh well...thanks for making my point for me. You are right about everything.

One other thing....they were DRIVING??? What happened to waking in the wee hours and walking through the woods and fields in HOPES of finding a covey. We would sometimes walk for hours and spend all day just finding a covey or two. IN NC way back when I went hunting I think there were also laws about what you could and couldn't plant in your fields. You couldn't bait the birds with certain crops. (I will have to check on this to be certain, but it's what I remember someone telling me once.)
The Southern Dem/ B. Muse | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:01 am | #

What if "Dead Eye Dick" shot Scalia, when he went hunting with him before a SC case involving Cheney ?

My guess is nothing, nothing at all.
ESaund | 02.13.06 - 9:01 am | #

Just a couple of things to add that others seem to have missed.

The shot circle for any gun depends on the choke, not the guage. A 12 guage full choke will generally produce the same circle of shot as a full choke 20 or 28 guage. What changes is the shot density since each of these shells has a different volume and carries more or less shot.

Quail are generally shot with size 7 or size 8 load (smaller than BBs). They are small birds so you need more shot density to try to hit the bird with at least 2 pellets for a clean kill.

Ducks are usually shot with size 6. Geese with fairly large 4's or BB size. That makes for lower density but these are proportionally larger birds so you can still get those 2 pellets in there.

Dogs are not often used to "flush" quail. Quail hold very well for pointing dogs. The dogs should then retrieve the birds on command and are invaluable to find cripples that are almost invisble to human eyes in the dense brush if they don't move.

When a dog points a covey of quail there is generally ample time to make a plan. Like, "You stand here and I'll walk in from the right and flush the birds so they'll fly into the wind and pass you right to left." for example.

This also allows the shooter to get closer to the covey, usually within 20 yards. And that's why quail hunters usually hunt with modified
or open choke guns which is safer.

At 30 yards, an open choke pattern would spread to have enough distance between pellets (at least 10 inches or a foot with a 28 guage) that it could not do the kind of damage that this guy apparently suffered.

Also 7 or 8 shot is tiny and therefore has less mass and carries less energy at the same veleocity. That means it won't penetrate very far especially at 30 yards after it has been slowed greatly by the air resistance.

Most importantly, bird hunting accidents are almost always caused by one thing. People walking around with their gun off safety - ready to shoot in case a bird flushes. Shotguns are designed so that the safety is accessible to your thumb while your trigger finger is poised on the trigger.

Before I ever enter a field with someone I've never hunted with I stop and say OK, here's the deal, "I will not hunt with anyone here who does not agree to keep their gun on safe at all times until the moment just before they pull the trigger. If you don't want to do that tell me now and I'll go hunt somewhere else."

The story they are telling doesn't make sense to me. My guess is that Cheney's open choke 28 guage gun was being carried off safety and that he dropped it or stumbled and it went off accidentally hitting his partner at about 15 yards range or less. Of course, the story that the victim approached from behind unnannounced and therefore was at fault sounds good to someone who has never hunted quail - but it's a crock.

And finally, only a drunk, an asshole or a drunk asshole would ever shoot their partner or their dog.
Uranius Pelican | 02.13.06 - 9:02 am | #

Sans-Culotte,

Well then, if a Texas Sherriff says "It was an accident" and that "they did what they had to according to law" it must be true...good God, what good stuff you are smokin'!! He knows it was an accident and that they reported it correctly because...?? An investigation done yet...???

Come on Sans-Culotte...my only worry is that this is a fortunate "accident" that is gunna draw attention away from somethin' taday like committee hearins er Plame information. But a properly reported "accident" without any initial investigation...not on yer life!!
NorskeFlamethrower | 02.13.06 - 9:07 am | #

Hmmm. I have to take something back, Cheney didn't blame the other guy. He let someone else do it.
anotherpawn | 02.13.06 - 9:09 am | #

Ten new talking points to turn this turd of a story into a Turd Blossom:

10] The best intelligence available to the VP at the time was that Whittington was either harboring a known Quail, or was himself a Quail. Have you seen a picture of the guy?

9] Whittington failed to announce his presence and approached the VP out of a bright sun. Whittington should have known about the VP's sensitivity to sunlight. And garlic.

8] If Whittington wasn't harboring a Quail, what did he have to hide? The guy is 78 years old. He's probably been skulking around for years.

7] The VP acted in a forward leaning and robust fashion to protect America from the Quail menace. And he'll do it again. What are you gonna do about it? That's what I thought.

6] The Democrats cannot be trusted to defend America from Quail because they have a pre-9/11 mindset and would have required some sort of inspection program or even a permission slip from foreign countries before shooting Whittington in the face with a shotgun.

5] The previously clandestine "Program Of Terribly Strong Hostile Offensives To Save America" (P.O.T.S.H.O.T.S. America) is well within the VP's constitutionally mandated power.

4] Article II, Section 1, expressly provides that, in the event of the President's "Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President," which is what happened here because of the fact that the President is not that good a shot.

3] It was deeply irresponsible to leak and publicize the existence of P.O.T.S.H.O.T.S.America as it will seriously compromise the VP's ability to defend America.

2] Now that word of P.O.T.S.H.O.T.S.America has irresponsibly been made public, Quail and Quail harborers will be emboldened and will change their tactics. They may duck. Or disguise themselves as ducks.

1] Americans have been made less safe by this reprehensible leak and, as a result, should be very afraid. In fact, they should shrink back in fear, cower, and, well...Quail.
Newton Minnow | 02.13.06 - 9:10 am | #

I've scanned the comments from a couple of posts and haven't seen a mention of something I heard on the news last night. They said cheney turned into the sun to follow the bird and fired. If he couldn't see a human in the sun at 15-20 yards (I don't buy the 30 yard bit for all the reasons posted) then why would he shoot at a bird the size of a shuttle-cock under the same circumstances. An experienced hunter doesn't shoot at something he can't see and over terraine he isn't actively observing. And in group hunts we never shot to the rear.

Has anyone else heard the ''it came out of the sun'' meme?
tominwv | 02.13.06 - 9:11 am | #

Around the time of Gulf War I, Robert Anton Wilson, a writer some of you might appreciate, used to make jokes about Bush and Quayle. The general gist was that hunting "quail" was a slang term of the approximate meaning of "chasing tail" or "poontan." He referred to Bush and Quayle as "Pubic Hair and Vagina"
The implication that the real purpose of his hunting trip was "quail" is rather amusing when seen in this light.
dgo | 02.13.06 - 9:11 am | #

Something is weird about this. I can't put my finger on what it is, and I'm awaiting a read of whatever police report gets released, but the whole narrative is odd. And reeks of covering for something.


Of course it reeks, look at the hunters in the group. They were beaver hunting. In the NRA venacular Dick was "poaching the beaver."

Wonder how the conversation went between Dick and Lynn over coffee this morning.
Al Swearengen | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:12 am | #

Logico-

Lead shot is legal for all game except waterfowl I believe. It is only there that steel shot is required
Trainer | 02.13.06 - 9:14 am | #

cgeye, on the thread before the cheney shooting threads, when this was first reported, that question was asked, and the answer is, we still don't know. I am very suspicious about it since some reports are that he was shot in the head and some are using the word face. Face, to me, sends up huge signals about his eyes and his oral cavity, teeth, neck (carotid and jugular).

Thanks all hunters for your valuable input, it is very helpful.

Trainer, if I pegged you wrong last night, I apologize, but I disagreed with your sunny outlook and lack of already reported information. As you know, we are extremely careful here about this particular issue.

On the Katrina front: Do you love that Chertoff is coming out with suggestions now when his ass is on fire??? Where was he prior to the event and why weren't these suggestions top priority when he began organizing DHS. This is utter spin and nonsense, he's been working on this all weekend to bounce off the Committee Report.
zennurse | 02.13.06 - 9:14 am | #

Way OT...

Here's the link to the Raw Story article about Plame and her work on Iranian nuclear activities. I realize that we all take this info with a grain of salt, but...

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/ Ou...ng_on_0213.html

The last paragraph requires your collective wisdom:

"The revelation that Iran was the focal point of Plame's work raises new questions as to possible other motivating factors in the White House's decision to reveal the identity of a CIA officer working on tracking a WMD supply network to Iran, particularly when the very topic of Iran's possible WMD capability is of such concern to the Administration."

So, were they just too dumb to realize she was working on these issues and just wanted a quick way to slap down Joe Wilson, or is there a more sinister reason?
Martha | 02.13.06 - 9:15 am | #

More from Raw Story

"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, RAW STORY has learned.

According to current and former intelligence officials, Plame Wilson, who worked on the clandestine side of the CIA in the Directorate of Operations as a non-official cover (NOC) officer, was part of an operation tracking distribution and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction technology to and from Iran.

Speaking under strict confidentiality, intelligence officials revealed heretofore unreported elements of Plame's work. Their accounts suggest that Plame's outing was more serious than has previously been reported and carries grave implications for U.S. national security and its ability to monitor Iran's burgeoning nuclear program."
anon | 02.13.06 - 9:16 am | #

Redd, I wrote an eerily similar breakdown in comments on atrios site before I saw this, down to whether the dogs were just on point with hunter walking in flushing or using the dogs themselves to flush.

I spent the better part of a decade hunting bobwhite over springers and brittany spaniels, carrying a semi auto .20ga. or a Winchester 101 .12ga over/under double.

Everything in assessment is spot-on.

IMO, Either he was drunk, or someone was there with them whose presence had to be scrubbed and an alibi constructed...Scalia maybe?
Alaskan_Pete | 02.13.06 - 9:17 am | #

Shooting blindly and injuring innocent people while others provide cover stories is the perfect metaphor for this morally decrepit administration.

We are starting to look like the old Soviet Politburo with massive propaganda, statues to dear Leaders, accidents and health matters covered-up.

Boy, what a proud state of affairs.

Oh yeah and four more troops were killed in an Iraq style IED strike in Afghanistan.

Heckuva job dickseeds.

-GSD
Granite State Destroyer | 02.13.06 - 9:20 am | #

Love the POTSHOT list, lol

Also, I really, really hope the Raw Story report is true.
zennurse | 02.13.06 - 9:20 am | #

Something is weird about this. I can't put my finger on what it is, and I'm awaiting a read of whatever police report gets released, but the whole narrative is odd. And reeks of covering for something.


Of course it reeks, look at the hunters in the group. They were beaver hunting. In the NRA venacular Dick was "poaching the beaver."

Wonder how the conversation went between Dick and Lynn over coffee this morning.
Al Swearengen | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:21 am | #

"Taking Aim at Cheney"
"Here's a test of media instincts. When Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shoots a hunting companion, the U.S. media play it safe while more irreverent world news sites around the world have some fun with the story."
"Never sneak up behind Dick Cheney when he has a gun in his hand," says South Africa's Mail & Guardian. "That is the painful lesson learned by Texas lawyer Harry Whittington (78) in a hunting accident at the weekend."
The story prompted a slew of headline quips. From The Herald in Scotland: "Cheney bags a lawyer." Canada.com tops the story with "Cheney steps up war on lawyers" while New Zealand news site Stuff says "Whoops!." The British tabloid Sun proclaims, "Duck! Cheney blasts pal."
And from the Sydney Morning Herald: "Cheney Hunts Quail and the World Ducks."
http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/ ...g_aim_at_c.html
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:21 am | #

In the spirit of the wingers Vince Foster rumor mongering I am going to refer to this as an attempted homicide on the part of the Vice President.

-GSD
Granite State Destroyer | 02.13.06 - 9:22 am | #

The Cheney shooting story makes less sense now than it did a few minutes ago.

CNN just reported, with complete credulity, a ridiculous official account from the hospital that treated the victim. The reporter on site told Daryn Kagan that Whittington failed to announce his presence as he came up behind Cheney, who had taken a bead on some quail. Cheney fired, and Whittington got hit with birdshot. Neither the reporter nor Kagan seemed to think there was anything unusual about this explanation.

To begin with, when someone is about to discharge a firearm, the safest place to be is behind him. Under the official scenario, the only way Whittington gets shot is if, having been startled by his approach, Cheney wheels around and pulls the trigger without looking to see what is in front of his barrel. That is, to put it mildly, bad hunting practice.

Again, this story has only just begun.
UncommonSense | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:23 am | #

In my state, NC, any shooting is investigated by local police, and an accidental shooting is fairly immediately part of the offical police record and thus covered by local news within a given news cycle. I know because something like this incident happened to me in the late 1950s--I shot a person accidentally while shooting bottles in the woods with .22s. The victim was taken to the hospital and the police interviewed him, but not me, as he assured them it was indeed an accident. But, my name appeared in the paper the following day! Now I suggest that the interesting thing about this Cheney shooting incident is that the media took so long to report it. Once again, the media participates in a cover up, or it seems like it at least.
Beel | 02.13.06 - 9:23 am | #

BREAKING: PLAME WAS WORKING ON IRAN AS SHE WAS OUTED BY BUSHCO

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/ Ou...ng_on_0213.html

If this were to actually get in the news............
The Truth | 02.13.06 - 9:23 am | #

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/ Ou...ng_on_0213.html

Update of story that anonymous mentioned at 8:31 am

Outed CIA officer was working on Iran, intelligence sources say
Larisa Alexandrovna
Published: February 13, 2006

"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, RAW STORY has learned.

According to current and former intelligence officials, Plame Wilson, who worked on the clandestine side of the CIA in the Directorate of Operations as a non-official cover (NOC) officer, was part of an operation tracking distribution and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction technology to and from Iran.

Speaking under strict confidentiality, intelligence officials revealed heretofore unreported elements of Plame's work. Their accounts suggest that Plame's outing was more serious than has previously been reported and carries grave implications for U.S. national security and its ability to monitor Iran's burgeoning nuclear program."

(snip)
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 9:24 am | #

Well, I've had a wonderful morning. Took the dogs running in the snow, my boys went sledding (it's a snow day for them), and best of all, I wasn't shot by the Vice President of the United States of America.

What "reeks" about this is that this administration proclaims itself as the grown-ups, that the real men are in charge now.

A real man stands up and takes responsibility for his actions. He doesn't hide what he's done for 22 hours after the fact. And then when he does say something, he doesn't blame the victim.

No, I suspect what happened is that Whittington was bleeding all over the place, and they wanted to wait to make sure he survived his "accidental" shooting. The delay would give Rove time for a plausible story-namely, that it was the vic's fault.

God, how I hate those fuckers.

Okay, well, I guess my wonderful morning is over.
mc | 02.13.06 - 9:24 am | #

It will be interesting to see how long it is before Cheney goes hunting again (and I'm looking at my watch as I type this....).

Not if, of course--when. Because he is so utterly lacking in self-doubt or introspection that no one could possibly believe this would give him any pause. On the contrary, he's probably already thinking, gotta get back on that horse again, show them I'm not afraid....

Hope the press finds out about it when it happens and runs some stories about others for whom an incident like this was life changing (with our help if needed, of course!)

---
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 9:26 am | #

The Truth,

I have heard Keith Olbermann on one occasion refer to a story that broke on Raw Story. Is anyone else familiar with cases where MSM may have run with stories that broker there?
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:27 am | #

Al Franken on Air America doing Cheney, an absolute blast. Oops.
ceci | 02.13.06 - 9:27 am | #

Maybe his defibrillator fired. This can be quite uncomfortable--some people compare it to "a kick in the chest." The heart rhythm that causes the defibrillator to fire also can (briefly) cause loss of consciousness.

This might also explain the discrepancy between the amount of time he reportedly spend with Mr. Whittington. If the AICD fired, Mr. Cheney would have had to spend some time in CCU himself, having things checked out.
djinn | 02.13.06 - 9:29 am | #

save_the_rustbelt says it all:

"Assuming the victim is about 6 feet tall, and Cheney is about 6 feet tall, what kind of quail would only be six feet off the ground?

Cheney would have had the gun almost level with his shoulder to hit the lawyer in the head at 30 yards.

Sould like an ND (negligent discharge) to me."

Yep.
understandinglife | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:29 am | #

Cheney is a little shit - like five foot six...
OldCoastie | 02.13.06 - 9:31 am | #

I think you misused the term buckshot. The chances are very slim they were using buckshot to hunt birds. Especially considering the gauge of the shotgun.
Matt | 02.13.06 - 9:34 am | #

Has anyone considered the possibility that Cheney, with his bad legs and feet, tripped and the gun went off. But they have to make it look like Whittington was somehow responsible. Otherwise, Dich would have to shoulder all the blame.
alice | 02.13.06 - 9:36 am | #

One other thought from me (before we're likely EPU'd) on the Veep's hunting trips, something I mentioned last night.

Wouldn't it be nice to know how often he has gone on such safaris and how many animals he is killing (vs. humans) per month, say, at these glorified petting zoos?

And who in the press will tally up the approximate cost to taxpayers....

----
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 9:36 am | #

"Reporting Lag In Cheney Shooting?"
(CBS/AP) Questions are being raised about why it took the Bush administration a full day to disclose the news that Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a companion on a weekend hunting trip
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/ 2...in1309344.shtml
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:36 am | #

McClellan just started his press conference and he is dissembling already about the shooting.

Tune in ...this is going to be good...

www.whitehouse.gov....click the appropriate link
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:36 am | #

Something is weird about this. I can't put my finger on what it is, and I'm awaiting a read of whatever police report gets released, but the whole narrative is odd. And reeks of covering for something.


Of course it reeks, look at the hunters in the group. They were beaver hunting. In the NRA venacular Dick was "poaching the beaver."

Wonder how the conversation went between Dick and Lynn over coffee this morning.
Al Swearengen | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:37 am | #

I put my money on "Cheney was drunk".

Also, I figured it was birdshot and not buck. You don't hunt quail with buckshot. You probably wouldn't find much bird to pick up if you hit it with buckshot. Mr Whittington would possibly be dead if it were buckshot.

Regardless, no, getting shot like that is no joke and I hope Mr Whittington recovers quickly and without long-term effects. As for Mr Cheney, I hope he recovers from his drinking problem, or at least leaves the booze alone the next time he goes hunting.
DBK | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:38 am | #

I don't think the terrain was flat.
anotherpawn | 02.13.06 - 9:38 am | #

Pachacutec | 02.13.06 - 8:47 am | #
Right on Guy!
gotta say that if we can't take the meme "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight" and apply it to every aspect of their policy, both domestic and international, the Dems deserve to be the minority party. This is the hook that we can use to get the silent majority to see what we've been seeing the past 6 years.
moe99 | 02.13.06 - 9:39 am | #

Scooty being asked that there is a report that a sheriff's deputy was prevented from interviewing Cheney by the secret service
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:39 am | #

Oops! Refreshed, sorry.

My sources are saying that someone yelled "Hooters!" and Dick's gun went off prematurely.
Al Swearengen | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:40 am | #

Hi,
Check out the latest Political Comics from H.L.

A Message From Dick Cheney &
Dick Cheney goes hunting

The Hollywood Liberal

Thank You
Jack | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:40 am | #

My father was a sportsman, a big time sportsman. His passion was Bass, but hunting was right in there. As a kid, hunting clothing and a shotgun were under the Christmas tree as soon as I got large enough to barely fit in the smallest available size. There were a few rules.

1. All guns are to be considered loaded at all times.
2. Never shoot until you know where everyone else in the party is.
3. Safety is the responsibility of the one with the gun

Safety was more important than hunting. I don’t hunt anymore, but I’ve retired in a place where the sound of gunfire during deer season is as common as cars on the road at the bottom of the hill. For our little weekly paper, hunting accidents would be front page news. There aren’t many. Maybe if Cheney hadn’t dodged the draft, the Army would have taught him how to use a gun.

But I have the same reaction as Redd. Something's missing from this story. It doesn't hang together, even with everyone trying to fill in the gaps...
Mickey | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:40 am | #

I don't know if anyone further up in the comments has flagged this, but if you're talking about a very small spread from the 28 - even at 30 yards - Cheney "accidently" discharged his weapon while aiming directly at his victim's head. You're not talking about someone who got caught out at the edge of an expanding blast cone - this is front and center.
fnordboy | 02.13.06 - 9:41 am | #

From editor and Publisher...
"[A reporter] at the Corpus Christi paper, said she felt it was a bit odd that her newsroom had not received any information about the shooting since "we often call law enforcement in the area, even on weekends. We checked in and didn’t hear anything about it." In some states, all serious shooting incidents must be immediately reported to police."

Curiouser and curiouser.
sonate | 02.13.06 - 9:42 am | #

Scooty claiming that he wasn't informed until after 6 Am Sunday that Cheney was the shooter.....caliming that Sat night he only knew that a member of Cheney's hunting party was involved.

Ha ha ha ha ......ha ha ha ....right
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:42 am | #

I've only hunted wild pheasants and ducks in Montana, never quail from a suburban in TX, but the account makes no sense. First, they say Whittington shot a couple of quail and went to get the birds. Then Cheney went ahead, thereby KNOWING for certain that Whittington, as well as the cars, were behind him.

Yet, the story is that Cheney heard some quail, wheeled around, and blasted away knowing that he was shooting in the direction of Whittington as well as whoever was back in the cars (I must asume they weren't really cars but a convoy of Suburbans).

Has anyone here who hunts EVER been with someone who just wheeled around and started blasting in the direction where they know people are? My god, if I were with someone like that, we'd take his shotgun away and beat him with it.

I don't know about Texas, but here in Montana, there are no "mistakes". There is one main rule, you don't ever point a weapon at anything unless you know that you're shooting safely and at what you know is game. If you can't identify what it is you're aiming at (like you aren't sure because of glare or the sun) or that there is ANY possibility of harm, you just don't shoot, EVER. If you do, and you hit someone, or someone's cow you're responsible, end of story.

Of course, in Montana, we actually hunt. we don't ride in a convoy of suburbans to a bunch of caged birds, get out and start blasting away. That's just sadistic slaughter.
Dick (no, not that one) | 02.13.06 - 9:43 am | #

Pool boy VandeHei is asking Scottie, in a very adversarial kind of way, about Dead Eye Dick bagging a lawyer.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:44 am | #

Brian York says:

"Whittington was first taken to a small-town hospital not far from the ranch. He was later taken by helicopter to a hospital in Corpus Christi."

http://www.nationalreview.com/ yo...00602131129.asp

Doesn't that make it seem as though Whittington suffered more than just being "peppered" as Armstrong says?
jules | 02.13.06 - 9:45 am | #

I would have chimed in re: dead eye dick in Tx but I know nothing about weapons. I suspect, however, that there is more to this story. Maybe emptywheel can add this to the list. Plamegate is still alive. Impeach the bastards.
california_reality_check | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:45 am | #

Sounds like David Gregory saying..."Human beings are not normally this inefficient"
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:47 am | #

Scotty presser--all Cheney shooting incident, all the time.

Suzanne Malvaux of CNN says Armstrong denied that Cheney's office knew she was calling the local paper.

Gregory is MA--A-A-DDDDD......

Les??? Oh, Les, did you have a question? Or maybe you, sir, from India?

----
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 9:47 am | #

Poor Scottie can't hide behind an "ongoing investigation" (yet) and none of this is classified (although I bet Dick is working at this very moment to make it all classified).
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:48 am | #

John,

I thought I heard someone snarking in the background "ongoing"
sonofslothrop | 02.13.06 - 9:48 am | #

OT OT

OK, so Cheney's a bad shot -- but don't forget today's Judiciary Hearing into the NSA

http://www.dailykos.com/story/20...2/13/1118/ 94305

Gonzalez fatal admissions show us two things:
A. FISA was known, but the NSA program managers develop programs which did not meet FISA
B. The NSA managers did not have enough time to change the software after 9-11 -- the capability already existed before 9-11

The problem is that the technical issues -- however described -- are irrelevant: The standard is what is in FISA, not what the NSA says "the program did or didn't do."

The issue for the Judiciary Committee: Why was there no confirmation within NSA that the actual program -- as planned and designed -- met the FISA requirements before money was spent?

NSA is trying to "rename what it is doing" to make it sound legal; but this "renaming" that they are doing for the House Judiciary Committee doesn't do anything to ensure the [a] the program, and [b] the actual activities are consistent with [c] the real FISA.

Big problem with the program management and software specification review: Spending money on programs that have requirements that are not linked with lawful criteria. Rather, the end product simply met the "NSA version" of what they wanted -- not the law.

Big mistake! And the DoJ has one goal -- to distract attention from this failed planning, and assert -- without proof, but using nonsense -- that the program -- as NSA describes it -- meets what NSA says is "the legal program". However this "NSA description" isn't the same as FISA.

A program that is "NSA authorized" isn't necessarily legal unless the actual product meets the FISA. NSA failed to ensure its program requirements, and direction to the Contractor met the intent of Congress.
Constant | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:49 am | #

Sounds like Scotty is getting pretty shot up by the press as well...
neojoe | 02.13.06 - 9:51 am | #

Quotes from CNN story:

"Similar accidents occur "not frequently, but often" among hunters in the area, Salinas said."

And:

"The nature of quail shooting ensures that this will happen. It goes with the turf."

These are preposterous statements. I am an avid pheasant hunter here in Iowa. We had, I believe, less than 5 shooting incidents this past season, for thousands of people and outings, statewide.
deuce | 02.13.06 - 9:51 am | #

"You can direct questions to the Vice President's office." "Check with his office."
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:51 am | #

Well Raw story has a hell of a story up on their website.....

This could be a serious haymaker to the staggering Bushniks....

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/ Ou...ng_on_0213.html
Canadianhoser | 02.13.06 - 9:51 am | #

CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 7:42 am

Hey, jump in on that idea if you have more ammo, so to speak. Heh.

My husband's hunted since he was old enough to legally have a gun and a bow; I've been out in the deer blind with him. While female hunters aren't uncommon, it would be damned unusual to have a 1-to-1 ratio in a non-familial hunting group. My spouse has hunted deer and small game, here in Michigan and out west in grasslands, always went on all-male trips. (Photos taken by third-parties confirmed this for me, as well as charge receipts.) Most other non-hunting wives I know who have hunter spouses would probably attest to the same experience. So what the hell was going on at the Armstrong Ranch that was different?

And what is this "group" all reports refer to? We've got Armstrong in a car, Whittington out stumbling around in the rear looking for a downed bird, Cheney to the fore...and a single, only-recently-identified female hunter. Cheney and Ms. Willeford form a "group"??

I think "group" is a device we're supposed to swallow and ignore.

CNBC has been covering this story, too, they are continuing to ask the question about the 24-hour lag. The latest story they got is that the Veep's contigent didn't have a full complement of press staffers with them.

Wonder why...
Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:51 am | #

Scotty has completely avoided who was in the hunting party
neojoe | 02.13.06 - 9:52 am | #

From the hospital, via Yahoo: Admitting Whittington to the trauma-intensive care unit was "a fairly common procedure" for a patient hit by a spray of the small pellets.
-------------------------------------------------- ---------
I love the spin here. "Spray of small pellets". That's from Yahoo, not the hospital, I think. If I'd been in the ER, I think I would have called it a "shotgun blast to the head, neck, and chest". At the absolute least, it would have gotten the generic "GSW" (gunshot wound) label.
Frank Probst | 02.13.06 - 9:52 am | #

Scottie, "that's absurd," responding to question about whether Dead Eye Dick had considered resigning.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:53 am | #

Shorter Scotty--

You'll have to check with the VP's office on that....

Redd, I hope you are able to watch this!

-----
CityGirl | 02.13.06 - 9:53 am | #

Unknown Journalist comparing the "lag" in WH communicating that the Veep shot someone, to the "lag" in the WH's response to the levees failing in N.O. Scottie really, really did not like this question.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:55 am | #

McClellan repeating ad nauseam priority was to get medical care for the victim, Harry W.

Regarding notification of the public McClellan let this out:" You can always look back at this issues and do a better job"
ceci | 02.13.06 - 9:55 am | #

P.S. In light of the weirdness of the 1-to-1 gender ratio on this bird hunt, revisit Matalin's comment:

..."He didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to do."

Umm, yah. R-iii-ght.
Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 9:55 am | #

I am sick of all of this CRAP. People, IT WAS A FUCKING ACCIDENT. LET IT GO. HE WAS UNDER A LOT OF STRESS. YOU GET FORGETFUL WHEN YOU ARE BUSY WITH THE PUBLIC'S BUSINESS.

(oops, I was reading the Libby press release, never mind.)

Revised Justification:
Obviously Dick is just pissed off that he couldn't have been in Falujah during our glorious liberation of that freedom lovin', flower wavin' town!!!

And hell, just standing next to someone who had been associated with neutrality (even if it was a former US ambassador to Switzerland), makes the gun tremble in Dick's hands. Aarrgghh!

.
dead last | 02.13.06 - 9:56 am | #

Scottie has cut off all questions about the dumb ass lawyer who forgot to duck.
John Casper | 02.13.06 - 9:56 am | #

Al Swearengen-

You devil!

I think we're looking at too many medical complications for anyone to really want to go there with the Veep for a dalliance. Besides...how boring to chance a poor imitation of Nelson Rockefeller.

IF there is anything here to smell other than a terrible, careless mistake by a terrrible, careless SPINELESS man sniveling to his advisors and putting Scotty McMuffin up to answer the questions...my money is on some canoodeling between one of the sisters and the victim. Hence allowing Ms. Armstrong to control some of the info.
DairyMaid | 02.13.06 - 9:56 am | #

Armstrong was in the car.
How did she know if the guy did or did not alert them to his presence?
she could not hear from the car.

You do not go to the ICU unless you really really need intensive medical care.

the whole thing disgusts me.
Blame the victim. The story of this presidency. Blame the victim and NEVER SAY YOU MADE AN ERROR OR SAY YOU ARE SORRY!!!!!!!
Diane | 02.13.06 - 9:57 am | #

McClellan:

Mr. Whittington did not follow protocol according to Mrs. Armstrong's statements.

From a reporter:

There is a claim a sheriff was prevented from interviewing Cheney by Secret Service.

6. McClellan is saying he only found out who was involved in the hunting accident early sunday morning...6am range he found out it was Cheney. Discussions with staff.
He first heard there was a hunting accident on saturday evening.

HE DOES NOT MAKE ANY SENSE. AND NOW HE INSISTS ON CHANGING THE SUBJECT. AND THE LAME PRESS CORPS OBEYS.
ceci | 02.13.06 - 10:00 am | #

On the noon news, I heard a WH reporter say the reason for the delay in making the info public -- at least the reason(s) given by Cheney's office (now, after having first said they wanted to defer to Armstrong) is that they wanted to get the facts straight and they wanted to make sure the victim was getting medical care. Huh? Cheney's office could have gotten the "facts" from the shooter right away, and it wasn't up to Cheney's office to muck around in the health care side of things. I wonder what excuse number three will be....
Liberal Heart | 02.13.06 - 10:00 am | #

1 - if they were hunting with dogs, then the poor man wasn't going to pick up his birds. the dogs would do it.
2 - El Perro Patron - loved your poetry! just a FYI, after posting, either exit from Haloscan or *hit Publish* once again with a blank screen. That will prevent double-posting.
Kathryn in MA | 02.13.06 - 10:02 am | #

zennurse

I have been a fan of yours since coming to FDL. Your compassion for others has amazed me often. That being the case, I was surprised and hurt at the response to my attempt to put facts out for those who needed and wanted them.

I can assure you that you were wrong in pegging me a troll. Much of the misinformation and speculation out there on this subject only makes things more difficult for us because it is so easily rebutted by someone with any knowledge of the sport.

I won't apologize for my "sunny disposition". It not only is my nature, but I was excited to finally have the opportuntiy to offer something to the brilliant minds here at FDL.

Hunting is what I do. I carry guys like Cheney on quail hunts every week. I've been doing for over 15 years. I've been shot myself while quail hunting, and I've seen others shot. I've also seen many comments here that are just wrong. They were probably made by good people with bad information. When someone makes a statement that is seriously inaccurate and puts it out there as fact, it makes us all look bad, and our job even more difficult. I only offered information that I knew to be true, and tried to point out things that I was surmising.

You can decide if I deserve an apology. If you decide that I do, I'll gladly accept it. If not, that's ok too. The facts will come out eventually I think, and I'm comfortable with my actions and opinions
Trainer | 02.13.06 - 10:02 am | #

zennurse...
"Also, I really, really hope the Raw Story report is true."

If this story is true, it's very unfortunate.
anotherpawn | 02.13.06 - 10:03 am | #

New Thread!

:)
Stacyb | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:04 am | #

The rawstory article is HUGE if it's true.

I guess we shouldn't hold our breaths waiting for necon nutjobs like Malkin and the folks at Powerline, to apologize for their planting the story that Plame was a desk jockey at Langley and nothing more.
Stacyb | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:05 am | #

Redd, your childhood sounds like mine,(Deer Park, Alabama) except, and don't laugh, I was only proficient with a .22!

Now, my question is, in order for Cheney to have been shooting behind him, that would mean the birds scattered TOWARD the source of the noise that scattered them in the first place. What kind of birds do THAT?
sunny | 02.13.06 - 10:07 am | #

Did y'all see Armstrong's comment that she thinks this shooting will strength Cheney's and Whittington's friendship? Really. She said that.
Liberal Heart | 02.13.06 - 10:09 am | #

With your gun expertise, is there anything in the facts that would indicate that perhaps Cheney had some type of medical event, like spasms or heart trouble, whatever, that could have caused his gun to accidentally fire? Perhaps that is why the delay in public disclosure.
Patriot Daily | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:19 am | #

Rayne - Have you seen this?

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

"February 13, 2006 -- Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot fellow hunter, 78-year old Austin attorney Harry Whittington, while quail hunting on the south Texas ranch of Anne Armstrong, a former U.S. ambassador to Britain and an adviser to Presidents Nixon, Reagan and Bush I. The incident occurred during the late afternoon of February 11 but the news was not revealed until February 12 after being confirmed by the White House after the Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported the story. The White House sat on the story for 24 hours. Local police were not informed about the incident.

Whittington was hit in the face, neck, and chest with bird shot from Cheney's shotgun resulting in bleeding wounds. Mrs. Armstrong later told the AP that Whittington failed to signal Cheney that he was approaching him from behind as Cheney turned to fire at a covey of quail. Whittington is listed in stable condition at a Corpus Christi hospital.

WMR has learned that this incident is not the first involving Cheney and hunting accidents. According to informed sources on Maryland's Eastern Shore, two years ago Cheney was shooting at ducks from a duck blind in Trappe, a Maryland Eastern shore town where former Secretary of State James Baker III maintains a residence. The sources reveal that Cheney nearly accidentally shot half of his hunting party and Secret Service detail. Eyewitnesses to the Maryland duck hunting incident claim that Cheney is "trigger happy" and a "maniac with a gun."

Cheney has since purchased a vacation home in St. Michael's on the Eastern Shore where he often hunts on weekends and extended stays."

(snip)

Assuming that Dick Cheney wears bifocals, to what extent do they interfere with hunting? At his age (65), he's most likely presbyopic. There are two other possibilities to consider: (1) is he developing cataracts? and (2) how good is his ditance vision?
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 10:27 am | #

Correction: (2) how good is his distance vision?
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 10:29 am | #

Trainer | 10:02 am --

Here's my unrequested observation based on 10-years of internet usage, including hosting chats, moderating forums, blog author.

Someone who rarely, if ever, comments drops into a thread in the wake of a sensitive event and dumps a bunch of information with what is interpreted as an upbeat or eager attitude; some of the information may be perceived by regulars as contrary to what other folks have said or heard, and can't be readily vetted with other regulars they know and trust.

This commenter is likely to be viewed as a possible troll -- depending on subsequent comments. The M.O. is common in other progressive forums.

The solution: post comments more often so that regulars develop a sense of trust and begin to understand more broadly the person with whom they are sharing these threads.

Capice?
Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:41 am | #

Dick,

You are sooo right...and ya don't hafta be from Montana ta be trained in how ta handle yerself with a weapon. Ya jest don't raise yer weapon up with safety off unless ya see whatcher shootin at first...it ain't nuKlear physixx, that's why they let folks do this stuff in Montana er Texas.

This ain't about a simple "hunting accident"...but it doesn't matter, the cover-up won't hold and whatever was goin' on it wasn't huntin fer anythin besides "booty"
NorskeFlamethrower | 02.13.06 - 10:42 am | #

Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 10:27 am

Holy crap, I hadn't thought to check Madsen! Wow, that's a doozy! Wonder who was in that hunting group??

And I'd really, REALLY like someone in the press to get to Lynne about her opinion of her spouse's hunting, the previous alleged episode, the vision...heh.
Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:47 am | #

Stephen Parrish -- hope you're going to post that upstairs, too, so it's not EPU'd down here!
Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:50 am | #

I agree with you. Something in this Cheney "sprays" fellow hunter story doesn't pass the smell test. Pursue it doggedly! The guy he shot was schtupping Lynn and Dick got pissed? Just kidding, nobody would wanna do that sour puss. :)
Lee | 02.13.06 - 10:54 am | #

Rayne | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 10:50 am - I posted it upstairs.
Stephen Parrish, CPA | 02.13.06 - 10:54 am | #

Gunshot victim was facing VP when shot, how could Cheney not see him: "A bird flew up, the vice president followed it through around to his right and shot, and unfortunately, unbeknownst to anybody, Harry was there and he got peppered pretty good with a spray of 28-gauge pellets." The victim "was turning, facing the vice president, but turning to the right, and it sprayed him across the right side of his face, his shoulder, his chest and along the rib cage area."

http://www.boston.com/news/natio...ion_1139828720/
Patriot Daily | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 11:35 am | #

Does anyone know how the HIPAA law affects the ability to report on the condition of Mr. Whittington. Unless he gives permission, the hospital can't even confirm that he is a patient.
CAM | 02.13.06 - 11:39 am | #

Why did Cheney wait almost 3 hours before getting victim to hospital: "Although the incident occurred at 5.30pm, Mr Whittington was not admitted to the nearby Corpus Christi Memorial hospital until 8.15pm. He was treated for birdshot injuries to the neck, chest and face, and was said to be in good condition and good spirits."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/ st...1708599,00.html
Patriot Daily | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 11:41 am | #

I totally agree with you... this thing stinks. The slow to non-existent press notification, the statements that Whittington is "fine," contrasted with the fact that he was in the ICU for 24 hours. Something is rotten in Denmark!
Jennifer | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 12:02 pm | #

Martha So, were they just too dumb to realize she was working on these issues and just wanted a quick way to slap down Joe Wilson, or is there a more sinister reason?
Martha | 02.13.06 - 9:15 am | #
Sounds just like pulling back the UN inspectors from Iraq in the lead-up to that war.
Kathryn in MA | 02.13.06 - 12:03 pm | #

Brian York says:

"Whittington was first taken to a small-town hospital not far from the ranch. He was later taken by helicopter to a hospital in Corpus Christi."

http://www.nationalreview.com/ yo...00602131129.asp

Doesn't that make it seem as though Whittington suffered more than just being "peppered" as Armstrong says?
jules | 02.13.06 - 12:44 pm | #

One thing I haven't seen addressed in this excellent post or others... If you or I shot a man and he went to the hospital, wouldn't we be interrogated by police, who would begin an investigation immediately into whether malice or negligence was involved? Furthermore, wouldn't covering up the incident for 24 hours be some sort of obstruction of justice? Also, I think that if you or I did something like this, the police would be very suspicious that we didn't report it.
sohei | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 1:39 pm | #

..."Why would you ever shoot so close to the ground when you're hunting something that flies?

Quail, when "flushed" frequently fly fairly close to the ground. Pen raised quail, realeased for a hunt, are even more likely to fly close to the ground.
bncthor | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 1:44 pm | #

Hospital folks always have to point out that a patient is "making jokes." Must be OK, he's making jokes.

When you hear that a patient is making jokes, it's always to minimize the injury. In 1981, that's what we heard about Ronald Reagan in the first few hours, only later learning that he was near death on the operating table.
Marty | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 2:12 pm | #

Whittington "came up from behind the vice president and the other hunter and didn't signal them or indicate to them or announce himself," Armstrong said, according to the Associated Press. (emphasis mine)

so how did he get shot in the face then? was he walking backwards?
ms. b | 02.13.06 - 2:21 pm | #

Is Cheney known to drink alcohol? If the VP was not sober when he shot Whittington that would be something worth covering up.

The time delay might have been to agree on everybody's alibis.
Ardris | 02.13.06 - 3:00 pm | #

3. Armstrong on a hunting trip but was just hanging out in the car? Strangeeooo.

seems like the car was the safest place to be on this trip.

I have gone hunting with my ex and friends on our private land in Texas. I waited in the car with the young children while the hungers went after the quail. The car is the place to be unless you are with the group. Hunting is a social occasion. She was riding in the car on her own land with her guests. If she didn't want to shoot, the car is the proper place for her.
AustinGal | 02.13.06 - 3:04 pm | #

I'm with Edmund, who earlier in this thread wrote:

Anne kornlut wrote an article about this incident which is on numerous websites. I googled Cheney, then within googled 30 feet. I found her article on the San Fran Chronicle website...it says Cheney was 30 feet away from the victim. Her article on the NY Times website says 30 yards. There is a big difference between the two. Why the inconsistency within the same article on different websites?
Edmund | 02.13.06 - 7:43 am | #


I too first encountered the '30 feet' version, and would like to know more. I know it could be an innocent mistake, but 30 feet vs 30 yards is a Big difference. If anybody gets any info, please pass it on.
JimmyJeff | 02.13.06 - 3:38 pm | #

while everybody is harping on the carnal and the farce, wouldn't it be interesting to know who cheney was hunting with? my guess is that this has a lot to do with everything. remember the scalia hunting trip?
mooncalendargirl | 02.13.06 - 4:48 pm | #

"I don't understand the big deal about this incident. If Cheney can shoot off his mouth, he should be able to shoot off his gun. Both ways, people get hurt. So what else is new?"
Marty Hogan | 02.13.06 - 4:53 pm | #

Dick Cheney. Can't this twisted nation do better than that piece of shit?
Pechorin | 02.13.06 - 5:12 pm | #

Dunno. For me, the question is, Do these people ever work? Clearing brush, "hunting," riding their bikes, going to fundraisers. Why the hell aren't these people camped in New Orleans or working on fiasco in Iraq? They just delegate every goddamn thing and nothing gets done. Swear to god, if I had dodged the draft, been clipped for DUI, presided over the worst preventable attack in history, startd a vanity war, and sucked the treasury dry, I fuckin spend the rest of my life doing penance, not nearly blowing off the head of a convenient lobbyist.
Deek | 02.13.06 - 5:18 pm | #

Brian York says:

"Whittington was first taken to a small-town hospital not far from the ranch. He was later taken by helicopter to a hospital in Corpus Christi."

http://www.nationalreview.com/ yo...00602131129.asp

Doesn't that make it seem as though Whittington suffered more than just being "peppered" as Armstrong says?
jules | 02.13.06 - 5:44 pm | #

Chris/Tx said: "Generally speaking - When quail hunting in groups, you usually fan out roughly in a line about 20-30 yards apart and walk forward."

Hmmmm, and the approximate reported distance of Cheney's errant shot was 30 yards.

And reports have indicated that Mr. Whittington's injuries were to the "right" side of his face, neck, right arm and torso.

In other words, Mr. Whittington was injured by a shotgun blast from his right...not from the front, or left, or back.

Which means he couldn't have been coming up from behind when Cheney shot him, which would have been more of a frontal shot. He had to have been to Cheney's left, for Mr. Whittington's right side to take the brunt of the blast.

So, based on the Chris/Tx observation, this is my scenario of what happened:

I would guess that Mr. Whittington was walking parallel to Cheney, approximately 20 to 30 yards apart, flushing out any quail in their path.

Cheney got excited when a quail burst up from cover almost at his feet, but instead of it flying away from him, it took off to his left...and in the direction of Mr. Whittington.

Since the quail didn't shoot up at an angle, but took off on a more flat trajectory, Cheney's shotgun was more parallel to the ground instead of pointing upward.

And Mr. Whittington got shot.

Now, it would be interesting to find out the names of everyone in the Armstrong Ranch hunting party. Presumably, if Sheriff Salinas conducts a full and legitimate investigation, then anyone present at the time of the accident will be considered a witness and will be listed in the official police report.

And I mean everyone present: Secret Service guarding, medical personnel tagging along, etc., etc.

If all the witnesses present at the hunting accident are not listed n the police report, then a definite cover-up is occurring.

And, of course, Cheney and the White House will claim that they had the Sheriff leave out certain names from the official report because of "national security" concerns. Yeah, right. More like CYA concerns.
TheOracle | 02.13.06 - 6:38 pm | #

Whoa whoa upthread Scalia and Cheney's duck hunt there was a young lady presumed to be a daughter...the story I read was that Cheney likes to hunt little girls all liquored up....How many secret service were there? I would think it would take quite a few to keep the whole sordid story quiet. This should be looked into. These are the same people who have been known to be heavily into pedophilia. It's been hushed up , but made the Washington Times in 88. The connection the whole cabal has is pedophillia.
molly | Homepage | 02.13.06 - 8:52 pm | #

The thing *I* found most amazing about the story is that the Armstrongs' ranch is FIFTY THOUSAND acres!

They could put the whole city of New Orleans there.
LizDexic | Homepage | 02.14.06 - 8:35 am | #

I don't know why everyone finds the reporting delay surprising. Pretty clear what was happening - first they were wondering if they could just suppress the whole thing (bet there was some arm-twisting at the hospitals etc.) then when they realized that wouldn't work, they called Uncle Karl for spin advice and they worked out the magic word "peppered" which sounds so trivial...oh, very trivial, knocked the guy down and put him in the ICU! And had it delivered by a jovial, outdoor-sounding type who had no problem with lying in the good cause.

Regarding shot from the front vs shot from the side - a post here suggested it must have been from the side - maybe, but my immediate mental picture on reading that it was "the right side" of his face and torso was that it was from the front, but the center of the pattern was off to the side so he got basically a semicircle: but that was just an impression and if he got the full circle of pattern then it must have been from the side. Don't think we know as yet - anyone have info?
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