Sheriff's department didn't investigate Cheney incident until next day

[catlawyer]

Ambassador to Switzerland was along; no one was drinking, host says

By Jaime Powell Caller-Times
February 13, 2006

Courtesy of usembassy.gov
Pam Willeford, U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
The Kenedy County Sheriff’s Department did not investigate the accidental shooting of prominent Texas lawyer Harry Whittington by Vice President Dick Cheney until the next morning.

Cheney, Whittington and U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Pam Willeford were hunting quail on the Northwest part of the 50,000-acre Armstrong Ranch Saturday afternoon, when Cheney, firing at a covey of quail, sprayed Whittington with shotgun pellets.

Katharine Armstrong, one of the owners of the ranch, said the priority was to address Whittington’s injuries, and thus it didn’t occur to the family to contact the authorities.

More here ... http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4463408,00.html

[Lerkfish]

1. believe that one, and I got a war in Iran to sell you.

Katharine Armstrong, one of the owners of the ranch, said the priority was to address Whittington’s injuries, and thus it didn’t occur to the family to contact the authorities.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

3. In Texas the authorities must be notified of all gunshot wounds

This is something that the owner of a hunting ranch would be aware of. Also, the hospital is required by law to report all gunshots wounds to the police immediately.

[catlawyer]

I thought it sounded pretty fishy myself n/t

[pinniped]

Addressing Whittington's injuries and getting their facts(LIES) straight.

It took 24 hours for those two events to transpire. Obviously one took precedent over the other.

[Tempest]

2. They had to get Cheney sobered up

And get the lipstick stains off his collar.

[Tin Man]

30. Yep, had to sober him up.

Unfortunately, hunting tradition often includes alcohol. "Old school" guys like Cheney often believe that a little liquor will help "keep 'em loose" in the field and less "jumpy".

And considering that the shooting happened late in the day, I wouldn't doubt for one second that Cheney had a couple of belts under his belt at the time of the accident.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

4. Gosh, we just forgot that a shooting might be of a little bit of interest

to local law authorities...perfectly understandable! MKJ

[Nitrogenica]

5. LOLS!! In a similar circumstance, who would think

"it didn’t occur to the family to contact the authorities".

The line suspects use when they get arrested for murder. What we need to consider here is that if Condaleeza (Liesalot) is Bush's pick to replace Cheney, it's a power grab from the Neo-cons. The legacy continues in 2008.

[Hobarticus]

6. The stink rises higher...

WTF happened out there?

[bucknaked]

7. Med chopper takes off, what else is there for them to do?

I mean, c'mon! This crap from the Whitehouse and this lady? "Priority was on addressing his injuries." Once the man is taken away by medical personnel, what else is there for you to do? And how the hell are people back at the Whitehouse going to do anything about "addressing his injuries" where they're too busy to announce this?

[catlawyer]

8. And this doesn't square with other accounts ...

From CBS News:

CBS News White House correspondent Peter Maer reports Texas authorities are complaining that the Secret Service barred them from speaking to Cheney after the incident. Kenedy County Texas Sheriffs Lt. Juan Guzman said deputies first learned of the shooting when an ambulance was called.

But the Secret Service told a different story, saying agents had informed the local sheriff of the shooting about an hour after it happened and that the vice president had been interviewed about the accident by local authorities on Sunday morning, CBS News White House correspondent Bill Plante reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/13/national/main1309344.shtml

[lumpy]

18. They waited until next day to inform the public

because they didn't know whether the shots were fatal or not. Would be quite another story if the victim of Cheney's carelessness had died.

[LynnTheDem]

9. didn’t occur to the family to contact the authorities. RIIIIGHT.

Suuuuure.

I believe her. No really. Uh huh.

I shoot someone, I don't think about calling the authorities. Honest.

:eyes:

[MADem]

10. Well, whaddaya expect? Old Sure Shot was a BIG SHOT, after all!!!

Can't expect HIM to follow the rules like the peons!

[badgervan]

12. Pickled?

20 bucks says alcohol was involved.

[Auntie Bush]

13. Or, Big Shot to Poor Shot------Sure Shot to Poor Shot

Hell...All of them apply!

[denverbill]

11. It's amazing. If you accidently bump another car, you get charged.

But accidently shoot another person, and you don't even pay so much as a parking ticket.

[VirginiaDem]

14. I don't recall the last time a VP shot somebody in the face. n/t

[rodeodance]

15. nominate

[HuffleClaw]

16. "thus it didn’t occur to the family to contact the authorities."

bwahahahhhhhaaaaaaaaa

suuuuuuuuure. ya just KNOW they had a bottle of some ludicrously expensive scotch with 'em. and ya'd think that the authorities would have showed up with the ambulance.

[HeeBGBz]

20. Is this the same Texas where I misspent my youth?

Where cops were everywhere with plenty of attitude? Of course, hippies with bud can't compete with vice prez duck and cover. I just can't see them backing off easy to the secret service when it's their turf.

[koopie57]

21. I thought cheney traveled with an ambulance? n/t

[MagickMuffin]

17. Don't we know by now

they ARE the law. Because they have positioned themselves as above the law, ever since 2000.:eyes:

[clydefrand]

19. They were hunting with Pam Willeford??????? Is Pam a female

here? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, very interesting. Not that women can't hunt quail or whatever the hell they want to hunt. But it seems a bit strange. Well, everything about this incident and this administration is strange so why change now, right?

[koopie57]

22. according to Ms. Willeford ...

I found myself out on the frontier, buzzards circling, someone put a gun in my hand said to shoot the little birdies and I didn't think anything else could surprise me that day until dick ups and shoots someone in the head. All I know it that I don't think I'm going back there anytime soon.

[bigworld]

26. she's very much the insider

rich, well-connected. Usual Bush buddy. Here's a bio from the Center for Responsive Politics..

Texas education official Pamela Willeford received one of the world’s most coveted diplomatic posts when President Bush nominated her to serve as ambassador to Switzerland in July 2003. A longtime Bush family friend, Willeford replaced Mercer Reynolds III, who had stepped down to serve as finance chairman of Bush’s reelection campaign.

The posting to Bern was not the first honor Willeford had received from Bush. In 1995 then-Governor Bush appointed her to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and two years later he elevated her to chairwoman. Willeford also serves as president of the Breckenridge-based Pico Drilling Co. She partnered with First Lady Laura Bush to begin the annual Texas Book Festival in 1996.

Willeford and her immediate family contributed a total of $23,200 to Republicans during the 2000, 2002 and 2004 election cycles, including $7,000 to the Bush campaigns and an additional $500 to the Bush-Cheney recount fund established after the 2000 election. According to the Houston Chronicle, Willeford has also been a “major contributor” to Bush’s gubernatorial inauguration celebrations and served as a co-chair of his 1999 gubernatorial inauguration committee.

*Figures represent contributions from the individual and his/her immediate family from 1999-2004. Total includes donations made to Republican candidates and party committees, as well as the Bush-Cheney recount fund formed after the 2000 election and Bush's two inaugural committees.

[C_U_L8R]

28. Do you think she and Dick

dress up in leather bondage gear and play dictator ???

[MiniMe]

23. Can you imagine if Cheney shot the Swiss Ambassador?? nt

[Vinca]

24. Does Cheney drink?

Even a couple of beers at lunch would be significant in an accident like this. If anything like that happened, we'll only find out if one of the servants leaks the story.

[alarcojon]

25. I'm torn between two theories

although they aren't mutually exclusive.

1) Cheney was drunk as a skunk, and had to be kept away from reporters until he sobered up

2) They were waiting to see if Whittington died, in which case we would never have heard about this.

[Vinca]

29. #2 is an interesting theory. I wouldn't put it past them, either. nt

[C_U_L8R]

27. Letterman called out Crashcart

for hunting whie shit-faced.

(late night tv rocked last night.. wonder how they'll surpass themselves tonight)

[Solly Mack]

31. Yeah. It just never occurs to me to call the police when someone gets shot

It's not like it's their job to investigate those kinds of things.


(never mind that when a call goes into 911/ambulance/hospital for a shooting victim, the police are automatically involved or are supposed to be - the hospital is required, by law, to inform the police of shooting victims - in case a crime was committed)

So uh, yeah...I believe their story. Sure I do. You betcha.

Amazingly stupid to turn what probably was an accident into an even bigger stink because the need to lie is greater. Cheney is such a control freak - is such a liar. He can't even do the simple thing - he must lie and cover-up least he look like a fool...well, guess what Crashcart? You look like an even bigger fool now.

[maxrandb]

32. "Sprayed"? Whittington with shotgun pellets???

Why is it so hard for the MSM to simply say; "Cheney SHOT him if the face with a SHOTGUN"???

That is what happened, isn't it?

[maxrandb]

33. I mean, my Dog "sprays" a tree. This guy got SHOT IN THE FACE!!

N/T