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Politics : I Will Continue to Continue, to Pretend.... -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/13/2006 3:18:54 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

How To Create A Scandal 101 By Bill Nienhuis PunditGuy After news came out this weekend about the hunting accident involving Vice President Dick Cheney, the MSM and lefty blogs have been going nuts over the fact that the news wasn’t reported for 18 hours after the fact. With tin foil hats firmly in place, the wackos are adding all the ingredients in hopes of creating a full-on scandal. The goal? Take out Dick Cheney. <<< The more than 18-hour delay in news emerging that the Vice President of the United States had shot a man, sending him to an intensive care unit with his wounds, grew even more curious late Sunday. E&P has learned that the official confirmation of the shooting came about only after a local reporter in Corpus Christi, Texas, received a tip from the owner of the property where the shooting occurred and called Vice President Cheney's office for confirmation. The confirmation was made but it is not known for certain that Cheney's office, the White House, or anyone else intended to announce the shooting if the reporter, Jaime Powell of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, had not received word from the ranch owner. >>> Here is the question the left will cling on to and not let go of this week: "How is it that Vice President Cheney can shoot a man, albeit accidentally, on Saturday during a hunting trip and the American public not be informed of it until today?" Democrat talking points have been built, printed out, and distributed. Watch for the left to infiltrate the cable news television shows. In the end though, it will amount to nothing, and the left will be left with another illegitimate controversy of their own making which doesn’t resonate with the American public. What a waste of time. punditguy.com nytimes.com editorandpublisher.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/13/2006 5:00:02 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

BLAMING CHENEY Jonah Goldberg The Corner Again, I take no sides on who is to blame for the accident as I know nothing about proper hunting procedure and people on both sides make a strong case (though it seems fair to go by the general rule that whoever pulled the trigger has the greater burden of proof). Anyway, here's a good article on what supposedly happened (free reg. req'd). Relevant passage: <<< Hunting safety protocol on the ranch is that hunters walk three abreast and move forward, said Katharine Armstrong, one of the owners of the ranch. If one of the hunters steps away, he or she announces his or her intention to rejoin to prevent accidents. "The covey flushes in front of you, and you shoot the birds," she said. "After you pick up the birds, you get in line and walk forward. The reason you stay in line is so that you know where everybody is at all times. If you drop out of line, you say you are coming up behind indicate to other shooters so you know they are there." Whittington, 78, was within 30 yards of rejoining Cheney and another hunter, but had not made his presence known, when a second covey of quail flushed, Armstrong said. Cheney had picked out one of the quail, followed it with his gun and shot, inadvertently spraying Whittington with shotgun pellets, Armstrong said. "This is of course not something that you want to happen, but it does happen sometimes," Armstrong said. "It's a risk when any shooting sport is involved. Fortunately, Harry was at the right distance away, far enough away that it wasn't worse." >>> corner.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/13/2006 10:56:45 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

SHOOTING Byron York The Corner Vice President Cheney has not yet made a public statement about the incident in which he accidentally shot a fellow hunter in Texas Saturday, but his office has just released a statement about the issue of whether he had the proper license to be hunting quail: <<< It has been brought to the Vice President’s attention by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department this afternoon that, although he had acquired a 125 dollar Texas non-resident season hunting license, he lacked a 7 dollar stamp for hunting upland game birds. To address any questions about the licensing: -- A member of the Vice President’s staff wrote a check for 140 dollars understanding that this would purchase a Texas non-resident season hunting license that would permit the Vice President to hunt quail in Texas. It appears now that the license itself cost 125 dollars, and an extra 15 dollars covered the cost of a Federal migratory bird stamp. The Vice President did not need the Federal stamp, as he already possessed one. -- The staff asked for all permits needed, but was not informed of the 7 dollar upland game bird stamp requirement. -- Because the requirement is new, the Department has informed us that it is issuing warnings, and the Vice President expects to receive one. He will take whatever steps are needed to comply with applicable rules. -- In the meantime, the Vice President has sent a 7 dollar check to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is the cost of an upland game bird stamp. >>> corner.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/14/2006 10:21:44 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

....I can't see how the hunting thing is going to hurt Cheney or the GOP. For one thing, even when they've got the bones of a case, you can always rely on the Democrats and the media to over-react and, in so doing, come across as a lot of prigs. Already, NBC's David Gregory, the George Clooney of the press corps, has been huffin' an' a-puffin' all over the TV demanding answers - multiple answers - about why he had to wait 18 hours to hear about the accident. Who cares? A "sinister cover-up" has to boil down to more than not giving David Gregory a press release. And, given that the media's spent the last two weeks telling the public why they don't need to see these Danish cartoons, it's hard to take them seriously as sudden converts to the public's right to know every detail, if only when it comes to minor hunting accidents. From an anecdotal survey of my part of the North Country, most guys see the Cheney business as an excuse to tell their own hunting stories, mostly of the been-there-done-(or-nearly-done)-that variety. I'm not saying I'm entirely on board with the line that real men shoot each other all the time without whining like a bunch of ninnies about what's no more than a healthy American male bonding experience. But on balance this is one of those no-scandal scandals where Democrat/media hysteria only underlines their estrangement from the average red-state male..... Mark Steyn corner.nationalreview.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/14/2006 10:53:32 AM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Cheney Shoots Attorney, Reporter Gets Brain Damage By Captain Ed on Media Watch Captain's Quarters Unlike many of my friends on the starboard side of the blogosphere, I enjoy Dana Milbank's contributions at the Washington Post. In his non-reportorial mode, his snarky and fun analyses often brighten up some dreary topics. Unfortunately, his snarky writing often finds its way into his news reporting as well, and his biases shine through just about everything he writes. Today's contribution to the MS-NBC show Countdown with the dreadfully egotistical Keith Olbermann brings Milbank to a new nadir in his career, however: captainsquartersblog.com (via Michelle Malkin) No, this isn't a tryout for America's Worst-Dressed Nerds; it's Milbank trying to be funny and only succeeding at being funny-looking. Since when do serious journalists pull stunts like this? Heck, most bloggers I know wouldn't be dumb enough to dress like this on national TV even as a joke, not if they wanted to maintain any credibility. Memo to the Exempt Media: it was an accident. Report it and get over it, and then shut the hell up so that we can listen to the real comedians make fun of Dick Cheney. Anyone want to guess how much higher the ratings for Jay and Dave will be tonight? And while we're at it, can we all just calm down about the White House waiting all of eighteen hours to release the news of the shooting? When the shooting occurred, I for one am glad that the first thought through Cheney's mind wasn't "Gee, how soon do I need to put out a news release?" I understand that the White House press pool feels put out because the story got covered by a local Corpus Christi newspaper instead of the courtiers in DC, but all this fuss over eighteen hours is sheer silliness. It's not a cover-up, people. It's not even a crime to have a hunting accident, and it's certainly not a crime not to report it to the Exempt Media, no matter how mad it makes them. Besides, while they're whining about eighteen hours, the same media outlets who stand outraged at the blackout have spent the last ten days hiding the Prophet cartoons from their readers and viewers. I'm less than impressed with their whining about the public's right to know about a hunting accident under the circumstances. captainsquartersblog.com michellemalkin.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/14/2006 12:59:38 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

The Left Angeles Times by Hugh Hewitt Before you conclude that the Times' worst bit of agenda journalism of the morning is the unintentionally hilarious headline --above the fold, no less-- "Cheney Lacked $7 Hunting Credential," --be sure to read the hit piece on Congressman Richard Pombo which while also front page is below-the-fold: "Foe of Endangered Species Act on Defensive Over Abramoff." The paper's long record of ESA boosterism reaches a new high with this howler. Previously the paper had given extensive coverage of the entry into a primary race against Congressman Richard Pombo of old Pete McCloskey, and today's story gives McCloskey a direct mail hit piece headline linking the pro-ESA reform Pombo to Abramoff. Nice work by the hack partisans pretending to be "Objective" journalists. Read the story carefully. The headline promises an Abramoff connection, right? And paragraph three asserts that "Pombo finds himself on the defensive, with his ideology increasingly viewed as extreme and his connections to industry and to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff under scrutiny." So what's the connection? And where's the evidence he's on "the defensive?" In paragraph 25 of the story, we learn that a "Massachusetts tribe and client of Abramoff's that donated $20,000 to Pombo recieved the congressman's help in seeking federal tribal recognition." In paragraph 23, there is the assertion that "a former committee aide who once worked for Abramoff's firm and is now a lobbyist for mining interests hosted a $1,000-a-head fundraiser for Pombo." That's it. Really. In 43 paragraphs of anti-Pombo bashing, the headline is supported by those two sentences. It is a naked attack piece on Pombo, pure and simple. I doubt any other major paper in America would clear such an article for publication. It ought to be an embarassment for the paper, but of course the Times is beyond embarassment. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid has received $68,000 from Abramoff clients, and Reid's staff has admitted many contacts with Abramoff's staff. Search the Times online site for "Reid and Abramoff" and you will find zero stories. But Pombo gets a headline linking him to Abramoff? The Times dutifully notes, in paragraph 27: Pombo denies any improprieties and says he has no fear of being tainted by the Abramoff scandal. "I met the guy a few times. He never lobbied me on anything. Never set foot in my office." The Times is over the cliff, completely unhinged in its news judgment, and all the barriers against bias are down when it comes to political coverage. There must literally be no one left in the news room to say "Hey, isn't that headline misleading?" or "Is this really the sort of stuff a serious nwspaper puts on its front page?" Pombo won his 11th District race with 61% of the vote in 2004, and will again win handily in 2006 despite the Times' attempt to smear him with an Abramoff connection. The story told us nothing about the alleged Pombo-Abramoff connection, but provided a great deal of evidence that when it comes to political news, the Los Angeles Times is operating as an arm of the Democratic Party. hughhewitt.com latimes.com latimes.com seattletimes.nwsource.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/14/2006 1:37:24 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

CBS's Plante Fires Back: 'Cheney Wouldn't Tell Us if Our Shirts Were on Fire' Posted by Mark Finkelstein NewsBusters.org February 14, 2006 Imagine you're a member of the media, and in your heart you believe that a major official wouldn't mind seeing you burn to death. Think that might affect the way you cover him? A comment this morning by veteran CBS reporter Bill Plante, while perhaps intended to be light-hearted, pulled back the curtain on just how antagonistic the White House press corps believes VP Cheney to be toward them. But more importantly, it suggests how antagonistic they likely feel in return. The topic was the Veep's accidental shooting of hunting partner Harry Whittington, and more particularly the very contentious press conference yesterday between the White House press corps and presidential spokesman Scott McClellan. Windows Media Player or Real Player newsbusters.org newsbusters.org Plante claimed that: <<< "It's not about us, it's not about the reporters." Sure. "It's about the fact that the White House is expected to disclose any information about what happens to the President, the Vice President, the administration, the National security as soon as they can. Plante later added: In any other White House that I've covered, and that's several as you know, the Vice President would never have this kind of power [to control the flow of information]." >>> Plante then added his zinger: <<< "But if it were up to Dick Cheney, he wouldn't tell us if our shirts were on fire, for heaven's sake." >>> Plante ostensibly offered his comment as a metaphor for how close the VP likes to guard information. But back in New York, Harry Smith broke into nervous laughter, perhaps aware that Plante had at the same time let the cat out of the bag on just how much the White House press corps disdains the Vice-President of the United States. Finkelstein lives in Ithaca, NY where he hosts the local TV program "Right Angle." Email him at: mark@gunhill.net newsbusters.org newsblogs.chicagotribune.com

To: Sully- who wrote (17851)	2/14/2006 2:46:59 PM
From: Sully-	Respond to of 35834

Birdshot Pellet Migrates to Heart of Man Shot by Cheney Tuesday, February 14, 2006 A BB pellet that hit Harry Whittington, the friend whom Vice President Dick Cheney shot on Saturday, has migrated to his heart, causing a "minor" heart attack, hospital representatives said on Tuesday outside the hospital where Whittington is being treated. "He has not had a heart attack in the traditional sense. As I said before, he was asymptomatic," said Corpus Spohn Hospital Memorial administrator Peter Banko. "He will have a full life the Lord intended to have, and this shouldn't affect him one way or the other," he added. Dr. David Blanchard, director of emergency services at the hospital, said Whittington, 78, suffered a "silent heart attack," meaning he did not exhibit any signs of a heart attack, the sweating, shoulder pain or crushing chest pain, but an EKG showed that he suffered an atrial fibrillation. The event occurred around 6:30 a.m. central time, the doctor said, and Whittington was immediately moved to the cardiac catheterization lab in the intensive care unit. "The BB basically has lodged in a certain area that has caused inflammatory changes. When that occurs, there is irritability to the heart muscle ... it is basically like an electrical short circuit," Blanchard said, adding that it is "easily treated with medications" and is a nonsurgical condition. Blanchard said that one birdshot pellet is the focus of concern, and other birdshot pellets have not endangered Whittington. Banko said that cardiologists tending to the Austin attorney do not want to perform any surgery on him, particularly as the birdshot has not entered any chambers of the heart or coronary arteries. "It's not moving and ... the cardiologists do not feel it's going to move. ... If it were in a position where it's going to move they would have gone in and done surgery immediately. It's not in a position where they think it's going to prove any further to endanger his health," Banko said, adding that Whittington's heart is as or more healthy than that of a much younger man. Blanchard said the birdshot pellet is a rounded, smooth object, which in itself is good news since it won't pierce the body at a later time. He said Whittington has no signs of infection. "We are very, very optimistic that with Mr. Whittington's strong heart, his personality, his stamina, the will, that he will do very well, and we're prepared to deal with anything that may develop," Blanchard said, adding that no scenario would have occurred in which the migration wouldn't have been found because doctors make daily rounds of all patients to check for these types of eventualities. Blanchard added that doctors were taking a "conservative" approach in treating Whittington and that he and other cardiologists at the hospital had the "concurrence" of the White House medical team. White House spokesman Scott McClellan did not mention the medical report during his daily briefing, though Blanchard said the White House had been informed around 9-10 a.m. EST. Cheney, an experienced hunter, has not been joking or saying anything publicly about the accident Saturday, when he accidentally sprayed his hunting partner with shotgun pellets when aiming for a quail. The state gave Cheney and Whittington warning citations for breaking Texas hunting law by failing to buy a $7 stamp allowing them to shoot upland game birds. A spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said warnings are being issued in most cases because the stamp requirement only went into effect five months ago and many hunters weren't aware of it. The Parks and Wildlife Department report said Whittington was retrieving a downed bird and stepped out of the hunting line he was sharing with Cheney. "Another covey was flushed and Cheney swung on a bird and fired, striking Whittington in the face, neck and chest at approximately 30 yards," the report said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. foxnews.com