Does this give you a reason to like Cheney?

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Interestingly, it looks like this really isn't Cheney's fault. No one, including the victim, is disputing how this happened.

The vic left the hunting party. When you return to a hunting party, you are supposed to let everyone know you have returned. He did not. He was not in line of sight, and in fact was flanking Cheney. When the dogs flushed out the quail and they started flying, Cheney followed them along their flight route, which went directly toward the vic.

I guess we now know why it took almost 24 Hours for the White house to release this news. It takes time to come up with a good story and make sure everyone toes the line.

[scaeagles]

Do you hunt? Do you know about hunting safety? Do you know about bird hunting?

Cheney pulled the trigger, no doubt.

"Nothing is this administration's fault"? How does the administration come into this? This is a hunting accident.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Cheney should have had an idea of where everyone was before he shot. You don't shoot unless everyone is behind you. He broke that rule.

Well, no. Because the vic did not make it aware that he had returned - something no one disputes - Cheney had everyone accounted for except the person that returned without announcing it.

So....it was an accident, no one disputes it was an accident, no one disputes the circumstances of the accident, no one (in the hunting party) disputes the man returning without announcing it, but because it took 18-24 hours for the story to be released, there must be a cover up?

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

I guess we now know why it took almost 24 Hours for the White house to release this news. It takes time to come up with a good story and make sure everyone toes the line.

See above posting.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Do you hunt? Do you know about hunting safety? Do you know about bird hunting?

Cheney pulled the trigger, no doubt.

"Nothing is this administration's fault"? How does the administration come into this? This is a hunting accident.

Yes, Yes, and Yes.

This is just another example, like we really need one, of the institutional arrogance typical of the entire Bush Administration.

Cheney did not have a hunting licence, Cheney refused to meet with local police investigating a shooting, Cheney withheld the information on this as long as possible.

This is only a story because of the delay. If Cheney had cooperated with Police and issued a statement right off the bat apologizing and sending the guy his best wishes for a speedy recovery then this would have been the non-story it should have been but Cheney had to play by his rules where truth and information are what HE thinks they should be.

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Interestingly, it looks like this really isn't Cheney's fault. No one, including the victim, is disputing how this happened.

I'm not one to want to see Cheney strung up for this, but it is most definitely his fault.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

The vic left the hunting party. When you return to a hunting party, you are supposed to let everyone know you have returned. He did not.

This is true, but in no way absolves Cheney of responsibility. It is the responsibility of the shooter to identify the target and what is beyond it. Most any hunter education program can clear this up for you if my word does not suffice.

Originally Posted by scaeagles

He was not in line of sight, and in fact was flanking Cheney. When the dogs flushed out the quail and they started flying, Cheney followed them along their flight route, which went directly toward the vic.

... bringing the vic into the line of sight. Cheney shot Whittington from about 30 yards away.

Cheney goes shooting without a clear target and someone gets hurt. Then we have the coverup, and failing that we start blaming the victim.

blah blah blah blah

[Scrooge McSam]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

If Cheney had cooperated with Police and issued a statement right off the bat apologizing and sending the guy his best wishes for a speedy recovery then this would have been the non-story it should have been but Cheney had to play by his rules where truth and information are what HE thinks they should be.

Now now now, Moonliner.... I read that Cheney was extremely worried about his friend in the hospital as he sat down to dinner.

[Gemini Cricket]

In the time it took to report the incident, the Administration got its hands on this story. That is why I said and still say that this Administration has zero accountability.

Cheney fired the gun. He should have known that everyone in his party was not in danger before he shot the gun. He didn't know where everyone was. He held the gun, he's accountable.

And, of course everyone is saying it's an accident. You can't have one GOP supporter bashing the GOP vp, can you? They all stick together... right down to taking a bullet for someone (even if the person that shot you is the high powered person you're protecting).

Cheney should have sucked it up and apologized and taken total blame for the incident. He should have been bigger than that. Be a man, Dick. Now it's going to be up to the media to lay the blame on him. Then he's going to take the victim stance... or release another video of a bin Laden or that poor hostage to take our minds off of it.

I don't think anyone can honestly believe that any member of the Bush Administration is on the level. Anyone who does is fooling himself/herself.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Moonliner

Cheney did not have a hunting licence

THAT is inexcusable. You must have all the proper licenses and/or tags to participate in hunting or fishing.

Wait! As a GOP member, was I just critical of a GOP vp? May it never be! Oh, my eyes have been opened and I see the error of my ways in support of any republican!

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by Scrooge McSam

This is true, but in no way absolves Cheney of responsibility. It is the responsibility of the shooter to identify the target and what is beyond it. Most any hunter education program can clear this up for you if my word does not suffice.

Do you know the blast pattern of birdshot? Have you ever hunted birds? When flowing the flight path of birds and aiming through sites, you must know that all members of the hunting party are not in the line of the flight path, predictable because they will fly in the opposite direction of the dogs that scare them out of the brush.

But wait! Cheney did know about all members of the hunting party.....except the one that came back unannounced.

Sigh.

The hunting safety you are referring to is regarding ground based game. You never fire a rifle or arrow at a land based target without knowing what was behind it. This is not possible when following the flight path of birds.