It was the victim's fault! The Bush Admin cannot commit a sin or

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

impropriety!

Posted on Mon, Feb. 13, 2006
Cheney's companion at fault in shooting, White House says
BY WILLIAM DOUGLAS
Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The White House blamed the 78-year-old man whom Vice President Dick Cheney shot during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas for the incident, as officials struggled Monday to explain why they waited nearly 24 hours before making the news public.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to absolve Cheney of blame for shooting wealthy Austin lawyer Harry Whittington, saying that hunting "protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington when it came to notifying others that he was there. And so, you know, unfortunately, these types of hunting accidents happen from time to time."

Several hunting experts were skeptical of McClellan's explanation. They said Cheney might have violated a cardinal rule of hunting: Know your surroundings before you pull the trigger.

"Particularly identify the game that you are shooting and particularly identify your surroundings, that it's safe to shoot," said Mark Birkhauser, the incoming president of the International Hunter Education Association, a group of fish and wildlife agencies. "Every second, you're adjusting your personal information that it is a safe area to shoot or it's not a safe area to shoot."

Safe-hunting rules published by the National Rifle Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department echo Birkhauser's advice.

the rest of this bullshit: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/13863636.htm

God save us all.

[Canuckistanian]

1. Collective narcissism

That's all it can be.

[rodeodance]

2. # 1 rule: of hunting: Be sure of what you're shooting at.

Mon Feb-13-06 08:17 PM
Original message
AP: So Dick "Apparently" Breaks KEY Hunting Rules

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

Cheney Apparently Breaks Key Hunting Rule

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney apparently broke the No. 1 rule of hunting: Be sure of what you're shooting at. He also violated Texas game law by failing to buy a hunting stamp.

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 avoiding other people.

"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."

[KyuzoGator]

3. Shooting "accidents" are never NOT the shooter's fault.

And I'm a very avid shooter myself. Cheney shooting another human being is FUCKING INEXCUSABLE.

[MsKandice01]

4. My boss is an avid hunter

He's an attorney who has guns and ammo in his office. He actually used to shoot for competition purposes. He said that Cheney AND his friend did something incredibly stupid, but it was more Cheney's fault than anything.

[Vanje]

5. Thatt was one fast 78 year old lawyer.........

to run in front of cheneys gun barrel after he'd shot, and before the pellets had left the gun.

[PsN2Wind]

6. If the reporters had any balls

Someone would have asked, 'Well Scott, how many hunting partners has the VP shot, from time to time?"

[lldu]

7. No place safe!

Normally, the safe place to be when hunting is BEHIND the hunter. Now, with chaingun cheney, you are not even safe behind him!

How many hunters do you know who wheels around 180 degrees and fires? Crap!!! Everybody in the party would be blamed if he had shot them!

Oh, I forgot, SPRAYED, he was SPRAYED. He was not SHOT!!!!!!

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

10. Welcome to DU, IIdu.

Normally, if you are hunting with people, you are all aware of where your partners are.

[applegrove]

8. See the cartoon Catwoman posted. ROTFLMAO!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=408916&mesg_id=408932

[Raine]

9. They always have

an explanation for everything and never take responsibility for a thing. This is sure a long way from Truman who said the buck stopped with him, this country has gone so far in the wrong direction. :-(

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

11. It's pretty low, even for these morans, to be implicating the victim as

the guy who caused the accident and bears sole responsibility, while he still lies in his hospital bed and can't respond for himself. Of course Cheney doesn't have to do that himself, he can get his flying monkeys like the ranch heiress, Simpson, Matlin, Hannity et al. to do that for him.

Of course, now is actually the best time to do it, as the news is "new" and they are still shaping opinion.

I wonder, if this guy is awake enough to follow the news, that even if he was willing before to "take one for the team" (he already did, LOL) and support the "it's all my fault" version of events, to see these people shamelessly blaming him for his own shooting, whether that might not piss him off and make him want to take a different course of action.

[existentialist]

12. What can we say about this that is clearly true, and useful

without overstating and therefore perhaps losing credibility?

1) That it is an indication of Cheney's recklessness.


2) (possibly as a speculative add on) That it tends to indicate that the stresses of his position are getting to him.

(and of course we wouldn't doubt that some small part of that might be because he is being caught in ever more wrongdoing, and even his friends are beginning to notice)