This business of Vice President Cheney shooting his 78-year-old hunting companion seems really strange to me. I have to confess up front that I am not much of a hunter. I went hunting once, when I was 15 years old, with a little .22 caliber rifle that I inherited from my great-grandfather. After tramping around the farm for several hours and not seeing any rabbits to shoot at, I shot the rifle into a woodpile, then put it away and never had any hankering to go hunting again. Somehow in our moves, which were coming about every three years 35 years ago, I lost the rifle. I have had some pangs of regret for losing a family heirloom, but not because I wanted to hunt with it.
Non-hunter that I am, I don't understand how you can shoot someone behind you and have it be the victim's fault. I know the story coming out of Texas is that Harry Whittington, the victim, should have yelled out that he was coming up from behind the other three hunters but that does not have the ring of truth to me. There were only four hunters in the party, so it's not like there were so many people that it was hard to keep track of who was where. Everyone in the party was carrying loaded guns so I would think that no one pulls the trigger until he or she knows where everyone else is located.
Then there's the business of keeping it secret from the American public until after the Sunday talk shows were over, almost 24 hours after the incident. I heard Scott McClellan saying that the reason was that the Vice President was concerned with getting medical treatment for Whittington, but that didn't take 24 hours. And was he personally, giving him treatment? I think not since an ambulance crew was standing by. And what's this with the Vice President going hunting accompanied by an ambulance crew? What kind of sport is that?
I'm sure the late night comics will have a field day with this incident. I would feel more like laughing if I wasn't so worried that this is only the latest instance of our leaders acting before they think.
Now for a prediction. I don't think Dick Cheney will serve out his term. I think the controversy around him is so distracting that he will be jettisoned for a new vice president who can then run for office in 2008 with the advantage of incumbency.
5 comments:
2008! sounds so far off - we still have 2 more yrs. of that baboon. I hope you are wrong about yr. VP theory - i'd hate to see them get an advantage. I'm hoping we can see a Democrat in office again.
I hope I'm wrong too, but today's news about a pellet lodging in Whittington's heart and causing a heart attack makes my wild theory about Cheney's resignation more plausible. Time will tell.
I think you are right that Cheney will resign. Bob Herbert's column in the NYTimes today -- and other columnists -- are quite damning in their criticism. The Texas woman lied at first about drinking at the party prior to hunting. Cheney has alcohol related offenses in his past, particularly at college. He is a hothead and a drinker and needs anger management. (The delay in telling the press also would help alcohol get out of the system.) But he is not likely to voluntarily resign. Maybe Karl Rove will convince him to do so for the party.
The Smoking Gun website has the Texas Game Warden's official report. What Cheney did is apparently common enough that it is preprinted on the report form. Look at the second page, where you will see checked "Victim covered by shooter who was swinging on game." Yes, Cheney wasn't paying enough attention, but quail fly every which way when flushed, so it is hard to predict which direction you're going to swing your gun.
I don't know if he will resign or not. Even if he does, I suppose that there are a dozen other stinkers waiting in line.
I like your prediction, but after that standing ovation, what are the odds?
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