Cheney Will Have To Resign. This Is Bigger Than It Appears.

[Solomon]

Okay. He shot a lawyer. Everyone thinks that's cute, so he's got that going for him.

But there can't be a clearer case of obstruction of justice. I'm glad local law enforcement at least made an attempt to investigate.

He better hope that guy don't die.

[Connie_Corleone]

1. Has anyone found an actual article stating Whittington is

back in ICU today?

I can't seem to find one. I heard it over the radio though.

[Sequoia]

2. He and his family should sue Darth Vador.

[Solomon]

6. Oh he won't have to sue. Dick has plenty of money to pony up.

[kayice]

14. I don't know about the victim's family but just the way that Armstrong

woman downplayed the injuries and blamed the poor guy would have made me livid. This woman made it out to be no big deal when in fact, the man had been air-lifted and in ICU.

Cheney should not be treated any different than any other American, he should be held to even higher standards....since they seem to think they are such role models. Maybe, all heart patients that have enjoyed hunting, fishing or outdoor sports should enjoy medical units and personnel on the scene free of charge----Dick Cheney is no more special than any other American.

[SpiralHawk]

45. All pigs are equal.

But some pigs are more equal than other pigs.

[bettyellen]

4. a hospital update will be broadcast at 1 pm.

i just saw that on cnn.

[Connie_Corleone]

17. Thanks.

[skooooo]

9. Why don't you go see your children CONNIE???

You need to get your priorities straight!

[Connie_Corleone]

16. It's Michael's fault.

None of this would've happened if Papa was still alive.

[Sequoia]

46. There you DUers go again.....

I think we should have a "Godfather" forum. I was thinking "Michael heck of a job Brownie" but hey, just blame him for it too.

[BeyondThePale]

3. However we can remove him from office is fine with me!

Remember, it was tax evasion for Al Capone!

[Sanity Claws]

5. I think that's where this is going to lead too

Even people who don't concern themselves with the Plame leak can grasp that there's something terribly wrong with shooting someone and then blaming the victim.

[gatorboy]

7. Think of the future criminal cases....

It will be called the "Cheney Excuse":

Your honor, I didn' shoot the man. He walked in from of the bullets!"

[crankybubba]

10. accident

from mystery men..."he fell down an elevator shaft onto some bullets."

[skooooo]

8. If Whittington is "joking around" why don't they put a video...

..of him on tv to show he's "okay"???

[koopie57]

11. that is a good idea

they can jab balloons at him, Frist can evaluate the state of his injuries and then make him drink water and pretend he is a sprinkly foutain.

[Lasher]

22. For that laugh, you get a valentine!

[koopie57]

27. thank you ..

I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[sendero]

That was funny..

.... I don't care who you are :)

[Solomon]

18. They won't even put pictures up of the guy BEFORE he had his face shot

off so we can know what he used to look like. Which reminds me. Where is his "biography." Why aren't we being "briefed" about this guy and his life thus far?

[philly_bob]

56. They did with Terri Schiavo /nt

[KharmaTrain]

12. Dance Dick Dance...

The one thing Crashcart hates is having the publicity light shined on him when he can't control it. It drives him crazy. It makes him ride through the streets with the sirens off. It makes him snarl and kick things. It makes Dick a very unhappy camper. Good! Serves the bastard right!

Someone (the posts and blogs have been so fast and furious the past couple days) astutely observed that the corporate media is grabbing this story as it has the elements that makes it "good TV"...and, indirectly, a way to get back at the rogh-shod way Crashcart has handled the media over the years. There are many inside the beltway who know they've been used by this evil bastard but were afraid to directly confront him...but now that he's in trouble, they have no problem in piling on.

The entire way Crashcart is mishandling this thing is what gave the story legs and keeps it alive. It's truly the metaphor as to how this regime has operated since day one...secretly and avoiding any responsibility. When confronted they lie or send out their toadies to spin and distort. It's all out there for everyone to see...but this time, Crashcart went one bridge too far and he's getting some payback..."big time". :rofl:

As Will stated, the longer this story goes, the better it is for Democrats. It creates that circus Repugnicans created and this appears to be one they're trapped in. It'll be fun to see how they try to get themselves out of this.

Plus think of it this way...one more day this regime is distracted with these type of scandals and "damage control", it's one day full of outrages and embarassments and keeps them from doing more damage than what they usually are.

Cheers...

[CrazyOrangeCat]

15. Some excellent points . . . n/t

[Tin Man]

23. yep, the "truth snowball" has begun rolling down the mountain

...and as grows, it leaves exposed the lies previously buried under so many administration snow jobs.

I think there will soon be a point of "critical mass" - a point at which, the misadministration will be juggling too many scandals to effectively counter them all. No doubt in my mind, the wheels are starting to fall off Georgie's little wagon. Worst president ever.

[KharmaTrain]

This Could Really Split The Executive

Look at the quotes starting to come out from "White House officials who hadn't been critical in 5 years"...I saw that quote this morning and almost lost it.

Seems the backstory to watch here is the rift between Rove and Chenney. One could imagine how embarassed Cheney must have been following the shooting...especially if he was bagged. All Crashcart was thinking was how to keep this from getting out. Remember, these are people who are used to picking up the phone and getting records erased and rewritten...methinks "The Dick" was spending Saturday night and into Sunday trying to figure how he could scotch this whole thing and no one would be the wiser. This ran counter to Rove who knew it would get out and was used to being the one who ran the spin on these things. He must have been frustrated as all hell as Cheney and his ego was overruling Rove.

Now it appears Rove is pushing back. Instead of this story fading away on a Sunday afternoon...like Crashcart hoped, it not only picked up legs, but it appears now that it's being helped along by some of his "best friends"...like that White House official (coughRovecough).

For me, the proof will be if Crashcart is forced to make a public statement...or, even worse...hold a press conference. If he has to do either, Rove has gotten even.

Stay tuned...

[Beetwasher]

26. Great Post!!

Spot on! :thumbsup:

[redqueen]

13. an hour before they even called the sheriff?

14 hours before law enforcement talked to cheney?

something stinks.

[cliss]

20. I agree. There's something missing

like how did they get this man to the hospital? Did they use Cheney's ambulance? And when the attending doctor wrote up the diagnosis in the EU, wouldn't the doctor then contact the police?

There should be a policeman showing up to take a statement.

something's fishy here.

[redqueen]

21. how long does it take for alcohol to diminish?

could that be what they were waiting for, just in case they ran a blood test?

[crankybubba]

41. point .01 percent per hour on average.

per my intoxilyzer training for law enforcement. so plenty of time to get alcohol out of the system.

[Lasher]

30. Texas Health & Safety Code

SUBCHAPTER E. REPORTS OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS AND CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE
OVERDOSES

§ 161.041. MANDATORY REPORTING OF GUNSHOT WOUNDS. A
physician who attends or treats, or who is requested to attend or
treat, a bullet or gunshot wound, or the administrator,
superintendent, or other person in charge of a hospital,
sanitorium, or other institution in which a bullet or gunshot wound
is attended or treated or in which the attention or treatment is
requested, shall report the case at once to the law enforcement
authority of the municipality or county in which the physician
practices or in which the institution is located.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/HS/content/htm/hs.002.00.000161.00.htm

On edit: Check this out

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. The Secret Service is looking into how the case was handled at the scene, Maer added.

The Sheriff of Kenedy County, Texas reports that reports of the shooting are being gathered, but investigations are not mandated in absence of a fatality:

The secretary for Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas the third, Sandra Guzman, said today that reports on the incident are pending. District Attorney Carlos Valdez says the matter hasn't been referred to his office, which prosecutes criminal cases in Kenedy, Klebert and Nueces counties. He says his office would become involved only if an investigative agency finds a hint of criminal wrongdoing or a dispute about the facts.

....Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesman Tom Harvey would not provide specifics on the information gathered. He says hunting parties aren't required to report accidents. The state penal code requires people to report fatalities, and law-enforcement would investigate those.

http://talkleft.com/new_archives/014009.html

[UTUSN]

19. The delay with the media was to see he didn't die first n/t

[H2O Man]

25. Perhaps.

It might actually be more likely that Cheney was hoping his victim could be treated and released, and that the incident go unreported. This, rather than seeing if the old fellow died, would be reason to wait.

In response to the OP, there are people from the president's office who believe this tips the scales with Cheney. They are pissed that he waited until Monday to call his boss. You are 100% correct that there is more to this than meets the eye.

[Solomon]

28. Sure. It makes Bush look stupid and not in charge.

[H2O Man]

31. Yes ....

and it's not the democrats that are making it look like Bush is a dope and not boss -- it's Dick Cheney. This is creating tension in the White House. It showed at the press conference yesterday, when Scotty was clearly unhappy that he was being asked to cover for Cheney. In fact, Scotty knew that despite several other WH officials telling him to do otherwise, Cheney was stubborn in clinging to his pathetic approach to "reporting" the accident.

[Sydnie]

29. well, they haven't really communicated well since Katrina

at least not in the public eye. blivet** and duck cheney* have not been seen in public togethr, other than the state of the union address for how long? blivet** thinks Duck cheney* threw him under the bus as far as Katrina is concerned and now blivet** has an issue where he can return the favor.

It speaks volumes when Scottie says that they let the VP handle all his own press, doesn't it? It is every man for himself in the WH these days, or so it appears.

[H2O Man]

33. The reports about

Cheney instructing Libby to disclose classified information presents a more complicated picture behind the scenes than the corporate media is reporting. In fact, only Chris Matthews has hinted about the problems this is causing .... problems that were being felt well before the news reports. Cheney is trying to take the stance that Bush "transfered" the authority to release classified information .... something that a president can do in some circumstances, but that the VP has no authority to do. Cheney is relying on the authority he had after 9-11, when he activated the "shadow government" that is well-documented, and about which I have commented at length for the past 2 years.

Things are coming to a head.

[Beetwasher]

38. "Things Are Coming To A Head"

This shooting incident couldn't have come at a WORSE time for Cheney.

Some people are saying that "Hey, you're ignorning the bigger story about Cheney outing Plame!" Pfft! Please.

I say, pile on. The "Deadeye Dick" incident isn't going to do squat to Fitz's case, the case is still moving forward regardless of where the idiot media is focusing it's attention and it's a HUGE help PR wise for our side. The VP is an out of control maniac.

[H2O Man]

40. Yep.

Character issues. Plain and simple. Relates to Plame.

[crankybubba]

42. this says it all re; character

from cnn...
"Cheney arrived for work at the White House on Tuesday without comment and his spokeswoman said the vice president had no plans for any public statement about his shooting of Harry Whittington"

f'in coward

[giant_robot]

49. I was thinking about this earlier...

...if the hunting incident makes Cheney damaged goods, will the administration offer him up to Fitz as a sacrificial lamb?

[Garbo 2004]

51. Yup, I recall it was Cheney who authorized AF to take out a hijacked

plane if it came to that. Afterwards they claimed that Cheney had talked with Bush and it was Bush who issued the order. But my recollection is that it didn't fit the timeline and calls made and Cheney basically ordered it on his own, but when asked claimed that Bush had authorized it.

And Rove reportedly was furious with Cheney and Libby for not telling him that Plame was a NOC. Rove had no problem smearing Wilson and his wife, politics as usual. But outing a NOC and the potential for blowback on Bush during an election year was another matter.

One imagines there's no love lost between the Bush loyalists and the Cheneyites. I figure they'd happily have Cheney swing in the wind, if they could. But then it seems to me the problem again is, how to have the VP take the rap for things like Iraq/Plame without making it even more clear that Pres isn't fully in charge of his own VP and his administration? As illustrated when the WH "deferred" to the VP in handling the PR of the shooting incident when apparently even WH staff recognized it had the potential of a PR disaster.

[H2O Man]

53. Yes .....

VP Cheney believes that he is the Alpha Male of the WH pack. A few months ago, I had suggested that people view the White House as a mobile over a baby's crib .... as one person moves, everything must adjust. Bush does not seem to be capable of handling the "junk yard dog" by himself. If Rove takes a swing, in the Plame scandal, for example, the situation you so aptly describe becomes very public -- George isn't fully engaged, but is rather, the ceremonial player, normally the role of the VP.

[Junkdrawer]

32. Almost 3 HOURS between shooting and hospital admission...

and that's with the VP's ambulance and helicopter on call. The VP is trying to spin the press notification wait as the VP trying to insure 1st class treatment for the victim. Bullshit. You're right H2O Man, they were trying to keep this "in the family".

[H2O Man]

35. Yep.

Those three hours will soon become company for 18 and 1/2 minutes from Nixon.

[Sydnie]

36. From your keyboard to god's ear.

please let it be true.

edit typo

[Elidor]

47. I can imagine Cheney standing over Whittington

"You're okay, just a few scratches. C'mon, we'll go back to the house and get you some band-aids and a shot of whiskey. You'll be fine in the morning. What's that? Hospital? Oh, I don't think so. It's not as serious as all that. Come back to the house with me and we'll get you taken care of."

[Junkdrawer]

57. And I'll bet Whittington was just tickled pink about bad health care...

to save Cheney's ass... :sarcasm:

[AndyA]

24. It just doesn't add up

I keep thinking there must be more to this story than we know. When the Vice President is involved in a shooting, it's big.

I even wonder if it was truly accidental or not. Are they creating a scenario that would require Cheney to step down to make room for someone else? Is he going to be the fall guy for this administration's faults?

I think there's a lot more to still be revealed...

[Cleita]

34. Just a rhetorical question.

Your post got me to thinking. If Cheney gets deposed, either by resigning or another method, who will * pick to replace him? I sort of shudder at the thought. Would it be Condaleeza?

[DanCa]

37. I wonder what the publics reaction will be once we see the guys face.

I am have problems typing the guys name that Cheney shot so I am intentionally not spelling it.
I do wonder what will happen once people get a good look at the mans face that Cheney "peppered".
Of course you do know if Cheney dropped a slide containning an embryo on the floor he'd be tried with manslaughter. *sigh* What passes for Republican "morality" these days is lost on me.

[LizW]

54. If he looks bad, we'll never see him. n/t

[Crankie Avalon]

39. It's soooo obvious, folks...

...Cheney had a flashback to his combat tour back in the Nam. For a fateful second he thought he was in the bush, again, with Charlie creeping up on him, and BAM!!!

It was instinctive, people. He had no choice.

What's that? FIVE DEFERMENTS??? Oh. Well then, the only explanation left is that he was a reckless idiot (with probably a few drinks in him).

[Tin Man]

43. Bahawahaha - good one!

Vietnam flashback - I love it! :ROFL: :ROFL: :ROFL:

[LaPera]

44. Cheney won't "resign" and NO one can ever make him! He can do

whatever he wants, including shooting fellow hunters, killing domestic animals or soldiers, and like everything else BushCo does...It will blow over...Only the boring late nite jokes will stick around!!!

He's the fascist VP NO ONE tells Dick what to do, you try, you pay...The fascist pay the media talking heads very well to say whatever Cheney wants them to say, as well as to slowly bury the story!!!

Get used to it, if you haven't already.

[SupplyConcerns]

48. That's possible, but this may be an important time

To see where the scales will fall, at least in terms of Cheney's autocratic power, if not the Bush administration as a whole. If anyone could take Cheney down, it would be a faction of Rove/Bush who had had enough of Cheney, and his negative effect on the administration.

[H2O Man]

50. It's happening .....

now. Even Fox's rabid reporters are viewing this very different than they did a couple of hours ago.

[Garbo 2004]

52. When even Uncle Rupert's NY Post has a pic of Cheney as Elmer Fudd on the

front page as it did this morning....well that says something. Maybe, "Cheney's fair game?"

[MadisonProgressive]

55. The only thing that bothers me...

is that if crashcart resigns, Bush will blame all the corruption, the war, etc. on Cheney, and bring in someone to be VP who looks like "a compassionate conservative". This will be the Neo-cons choice of the successor to * in 2008. And it just might work, based on everything being so fucked up.

[wovenpaint]

63. This has been my prediction since last fall

saying that Deadeye will be out by end of Feb. But I'm still trying to predict who they'll bring in.....McCain? Maybe....or-maybe a "fresh" face.
I do believe that we're going to find out shortly.

[lonestarnot]

58. Look, they want to bypass the law to move fast in tracking

terra activity and communications, but how many hours did it take to get in touch with the W.H. bullshit! We can't even contact our own people! How fucking ridikilus!

[melissaf]

59. I just don't see

how _anyone_ can shoot someone in this country and not get investigated, if not arrested. I can understand if the victim has been sucking up to Cheney for so long that he doesn't want to press charges. But seriously injuring another human being is a potentially criminal offense, even if it was an accident. And if Whittington dies? Something has to happen to Cheney. Otherwise, we can just flush our entire justice system down the toilet.

[lonestarnot]

60. Well never go hunting with a Dick!

[melissaf]

62. Or, more specifically...

never drive around a ranch looking for domesticated birds to skeet-shoot with a Dick. ;)

[lonestarnot]

64. pen raised quail...

[Independent_Liberal]

61. This plus the CIA leak, plus Halliburton, plus the energy task force lying

to Congress... Yeah, he'll definitely have to resign.

[WinkyDink]

65. PLEASE tell me you aren't referring to "that" photo!

EEEWWWWWWW!!!!!

[goodhue]

66. Well he certainly needs to speak publicly about it, sooner or latter

Apparently he feels badly but didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to do.

[Solomon]

67. kick because I had to go to work and miss the conversations.

And for a later crowd.