Cheney's Prey Heart Attack Details

[NativeTexan]

Hunter shot by Cheney has 'minor heart attack'
Doctors: Birdshot moved to Harry Whittington's heart

Tuesday, February 14, 2006; Posted: 1:53 p.m. EST (18:53 GMT)







CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CNN) -- The fellow hunter who was shot and wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney has suffered a "minor heart attack" after a piece of birdshot migrated to his heart, a hospital spokesman said Tuesday.

Harry Whittington, 78, is in stable condition in intensive care and will remain hospitalized for up to seven days, hospital officials said.

"Some of the bird shot appears to have moved and lodged into part of his heart ... in what we would say is a minor heart attack," said Peter Banko, administrator at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial.

Doctors were deciding how to treat Whittington's condition, which was discovered after doctors noticed an irregularity in his heartbeat, Banko said.

Dr. David Blanchard, the hospital's emergency room chief, said Whittington suffered an "asymptomatic heart attack," without displaying symptoms such as chest pains or breathing difficulty. He said a roughly 5 mm piece of shot became lodged in or alongside Whittington's heart muscle, causing the organ's upper two chambers to beat irregularly.

Physicians from the White House staff, who helped treat Whittington after Cheney shot him in a Saturday hunting accident, have been consulted on the situation, Banko said.

Authorities have cleared Cheney of wrongdoing in the accidental shooting of Whittington, but questions about Saturday's incident remain.

During Tuesday's White House news conference, spokesman Scott McClellan was asked if waiting 14 hours after the shooting before Cheney spoke with police was appropriate, and whether an average citizen would have been afforded the same amount of time.

"That was what was arranged with the local law enforcement authorities," McClellan said. "You ought to ask them that question."

McClellan referred other questions about Cheney's shooting of Whittington, a Bush-Cheney campaign contributor, to the vice president's office and local police.

[opihimoimoi]

1. The Coverup leads to MORE and LARGER COVERUPs till the House of Cards

falls.

They just don learn do they?

Signs of sheer Arrogance and DENIAL...traits we could with a lot less in the White House.

[July]

11. I use the house of cards metaphor often when speaking of this gang.

But where is that strong gust that will take it down once and for all?

[NYC]

2. ...5mm piece of shot...???

That sounds awfully large. Could it be a cluster of birdshot?

[SteppingRazor]

3. half a centimeter is large? n/t

[NYC]

5. I think so.

From what I was reading about what size it would be in a 28 gauge shotgun.

[SteppingRazor]

6. Gauge actually doesn't have anything to do with the size of the shot...

You can have 00 buckshot loaded into a 28 gauge shotgun, and likewise you can have #12 birdshot (the smallest) in a 12 gauge.

5 mm is large for birdshot, but it is still technically birdshot. In fact, I believe it's the upper limit -- anything larger than 5 mm is termed buckshot. Still, it IS awfully big for hunting quail -- you'd use shot that size for hunting, say, turkeys or something. So, you could very well be right.

[NYC]

7. I read it should be 7 1/2 to 9 in a 28 gauge shotgun.

2 3/4 shell (per a shotgun website). I forget how many pellets per shell.

Anyway, 5 mm sounds so much larger than I was expecting. If I find an accurate description of 7 1/2, 8, or 9 birdshot, I'll post it.

[BrotherBuzz]

8. Technically it's between birdshot and buckshot

The standard BB shot is .177 (4.5mm)

[Generator]

4. Yes 14 hours

after the accidental shooting, it was determined alchohol wasn't involved. Is that enough time to get sober? hmmm.... enough time to get stories straight..HELLO law enforcement there is a reason an investigation needs to happen immediately not after a good night's sleep.

[NYC]

9. The wording on the report is under the "apparent"...

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0213061cheney1.html

Under the apparent influence of intoxicant or drugs? No.

See the diagram on the right hand side of the report. Is the darkened area on the human figure where Whittington was shot?

[mac56]

10. "Authorities have cleared Cheney of wrongdoing...

"...in the accidental shooting of Whittington..."

What authorities?

[July]

12. How did that happen, when the SS kept law enforcement away?

You would think there would be an open investigation still.