Cheney Violates Cardinal Rule of Hunting

[leftchick]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060213/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cheney_hunting_accident_33

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney apparently broke the No. 1 rule of hunting: be sure of what you're shooting at. Cheney wounded fellow hunter Harry Whittington in the face, neck and chest Saturday, apparently because he didn't see Whittington approaching as he fired on a covey of quail in Texas.

Hunting safety experts interviewed Monday agreed it would have been a good idea for Whittington to announce himself — something he apparently didn't do, according to a witness. But they stressed that the shooter is responsible for knowing his surroundings and avoiding hitting other people.

"We always stress to anybody that before you make any kind of a shot, it's incumbent upon the shooter to assess the situation and make sure it's a safe shot," said Mark Birkhauser, president-elect of the International Hunter Education Association and hunter education coordinator in New Mexico. "Once you squeeze that trigger, you can't bring that shot back."

Cheney, an experienced hunter, has not commented publicly about the accident. He avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan before the press was escorted in.




Vice President Dick Cheney arrives at the White House, Monday, Feb. 13, 2006, to attend morning security briefing with President Bush. 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. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

[JeffR]

1. Much like Iraq

"We always stress to anybody that before you make any kind of a shot, it's incumbent upon the shooter to assess the situation and make sure it's a safe shot."

Cheney didn't do it with Iraq, and didn't do it in his grubby personal life either. Go figure.

[Born Free]

36. Cheney Violates Cardinal Rule of being Human

Lack of concern for his fellow human beings, surely the day will come when he will have to answer for all the evil he has done.

[oneighty]

2. Cheney is not a hunter

He is a shooter. The game must be brought to him. So very wrong.

IMO

[roguevalley]

7. agreed. he's a murderer who shoots tame animals.

[Skittles]

29. look at you Ed!! All those HEARTS!

quite the loverboy you are; yes INDEED (yes, one of them IS mine!) :7

[tabasco]

35. What a depraved scenario it is.

Cheney wants to show his concubine how manly he is, so he takes her out when he is shooting disabled birds. You just know Cheney was trying to impress his girlfriend with his manly shooting of guns.

Ol' Chickenhawk wanted to show his girlfriend that he is just like Rambo (without the military service). Same as Ted Nugent - another phony poser trying to project a tough guy image.

Six-deferment Cheney was really impressing his concubine with his ability to drink lots of beer and shoot lots of disabled birds. Things were going great for DUI Dick until he drunkenly shot his friend in the face. That pooped the party for Ol' Deferment Dick.

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

3. "It was Whittington's own damned fault he was inside the animal pen"

:evilgrin:

[MSgt213]

4. Cheney is not a fucking hunter. Shooting farm raised birds is not hunting

[henslee]

5. & network news is blaming the stupidity of Whittington for not announcing

his presence. I am fucking sick of lying dog MSM covering for these fuckers and spinning it. Duh, you're supposed to know what you're shooting at. Funny how the deferment kid loves to play gunman.

[muntrv]

6. CNN's Cafferty File

is railing on why it took a full day for Cheney to report this incident.

[Miz Milquetoast]

8. I agree.

"Hunting safety experts interviewed Monday agreed it would have been a good idea for Whittington to announce himself — something he apparently didn't do, according to a witness. But they stressed that the shooter is responsible for knowing his surroundings and avoiding hitting other people."



I guess that's why they call it an 'accident' instead of an 'on purpose'!

[CountAllVotes]

11. Welcome to the DU Miz Milquetoast

:hi: Miz Milquetoast :hi: and Welcome to the Democratic Underground! :D

:dem: :kick:

[Gman]

9. If you pick up a gun you assume responsibility for what happens

when its used. This is what I've been saying. Either Cheney has poor vision or he was very careless. It wasn't the guy's obligation to announce his self. For his own safety and to make sure everyone was aware that he entered the area, he might want to announce his self. Ultimately, as my dad taught us, you always make sure what's behind (or apparently in front in this case) of what you're shooting.

[xxqqqzme]

10. Cheney....has not commented

publicly about the accident. He avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting.....before the press was escorted in.

Once a chickenhawk, always a chicken(shit)hawk.

[Webster Green]

12. The silly asshole deserves much scorn heaped upon him....

What a dick!

[screembloodymurder]

13. Cheney blames Whittington for not wearing his body armor.

Whittington was actually releasing the bird when shot. There are no quail in Texas. The birds were being released from a bag on a quail farm.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. Slob hunter.

n/t

[VegasWolf]

15. They probably had to sober Cheney up before the local Sheriff got

there.

:puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke::puke:

[Orsino]

16. He knows rule one...

Don't talk about Hunt Club.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

17. Cheney also broke Texas game law

He did not have a require hunting stamp. But then when did the law evere apply to the * administration?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060214/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cheney_hunting_accident

[Spiffarino]

18. My older brother worked at one of those "hunting" clubs

It was frequented by a lot of wealthy, older men (many with familiar names) who enjoyed killing things but didn't want to be bothered to go out and find it. He said they'd get pissed as hell if they didn't get anything, so they would drug the birds' feed to slow them down.

I doubt they drug the animals now, but back in the 60s it was fairly common practice. My brother was a hunter and was disgusted by it. He quit after a few weeks even though he needed the job.

I have to agree with previous posters. To call what Cheney is doing hunting is an insult to hunters. The animals have no chance to escape unless the shooter is a total bozo who shoots his buddies instead.

[gordianot]

24. That's disgusting, drug the birds!

Another problem is many of these clubs use tame birds that are not afraid of humans. I know a flock of wild Ozark quail that has never and never will be hunted. I feed them with food plots but I also chase them so they maintain their fear of humans. Cheney would not stand a chance.

[leftchick]

32. that is sick

rich old white men killing defenseless animals for fun. :puke:

[Spiffarino]

34. My brother, the hunter, used to come home from that place...

...looking like death. He didn't last long at the place, but he still remembers it as an unspeakably awful place. The bastards that "hunted" there weren't the nicest people, either. He said most of the old guys called him "boy" which he didn't much like.

We were all very happy to see it shut down in the early 70s.

[lovuian]

19. Finally an acknowledgement that Cheney made a mistake

a very dangerous and terrible mistake!!!

[brentspeak]

20. What makes me really suspicious about this story

is the account reported by Karen Armstrong, the owner of the ranch. She says Whittington didn't indicate to Cheney or the other hunter his presence. But she also says that she was watching the hunting from the car. Does she have bionic hearing?

[DemBones DemBones]

22. Alan SImpson was blaming it on the victim on Hardball

and actually claimed that Whittington didn't tell Cheney where he was. How does Simpson know? How does Karen Armstrong know?

It's entirely possible that Whittington did announce his position and Cheney didn't hear him. Has Dead-Eye Dick had a hearing test recently? Or a vision test? Everybody's hearing and eyesight weaken with age, some earlier than others.

[freenergy]

21. how do you shoot somebody on the ground when BIRD hunting?

Let me start off first of all by stating I am not a hunter. I am curious and am hoping somebody that has experience in this matter can answer my question. How does somnebody on the ground gets shot when I thought you shoot birds out of the Sky. My only conclusion is that Cheney is a really BAD shot or he was drunk. Please advise

[SnoopDog]

23. Quail are like road runners....

Quail run on the ground and is their first means of fleeing a dangerous area. Only after realizing that they cannot escape by running - they fly.

Beep - beep.

[gordianot]

26. He was shooting them on the ground?

That is pure shit, I hope hunters hear that as soon as possible. A real quail hunter never shoots molted birds, birds that cannot fly, or grounded birds. The culture is to have your dog point and flush the birds. Only low life trash hunts like this.

I have been quail hunting twice and learned the rules, did not care for quail hunting. It was not for me. One reason I do not own dogs, and in the summer I like to hear "bobwhite".

[IndianaGreen]

25. How can you shoot at a guy in a field when aiming at quail in the sky?

Cheney must have been drunk!

[Carni]

27. His freaking face is bruised!

Blow this up in a photo program! His Cheek is bruised-- that fat ass probably fell down and discharged his weapon! Is it just me? I see a big discoloration on his cheek!

[Lerkfish]

28. chickenhawk: He avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting....

He avoided reporters by leaving an Oval Office meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan before the press was escorted in.

LOL! here's what we should say to him:

You sit around here and you spin your little webs and you think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn't, Mister Potter! In the... in the whole vast configuration of things, I'd say you were nothing but a scurvy little spider.

[daleo]

30. So, it is negligence then

He ought to be charged, in my opinion. This sends the message that the rich and powerful are beyond the reach of the law. Not a new message, but it has been getting worse, far worse, in the Bush years.

[kestrel91316]

31. Another rule he broke: pay for the damned upland game bird stamp!

I don't give a goddam rat's patootie if you think the $7 or whatever is just too trivial to bother with, the law is the law. I don't think any of us COMMONERS would get by with just a citation for this. We would be arrested for POACHING.

[0007]

33. That charge has been dropped.