here's why I think Cheney is toast

[radfringe]

aside from the Plame leak implication and other such doings

This shooting is going to be his undoing.

We have alot of unanswered questions about the actual "event" and what transpired afterwards. Due to the clumsy handling of breaking the news the "accident" has raised alot of questions.

- why the 18 hour time lag, why the life flight, the ICU

It's going on 3 days since the shooting and Cheney has been silent. Most of the information coming out of the White House is funneled though Scottie-dog McClellan. He's left holding the bag to answer questions that he has no answers too because the Cheney side of the White House are hunkered down in the bunker.

check out this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/14/AR2006021400869.html

McClellan Takes Aim at Cheney
By Dana Milbank
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 14, 2006; 2:39 PM

After a not-entirely-successful effort on Monday to explain the vice president's hunting accident, press secretary Scott McClellan reloaded this morning and took aim at Dick Cheney himself.

President Bush, he announced, would be on the South Lawn with the national champion University of Texas football team. "The orange they're wearing is not because they are concerned that the vice president will be there," he deadpanned.

---snip---

CBS's Bill Plante asked if Cheney's office would be providing a fuller account of what happened over the weekend. "I think we pretty much covered it all yesterday," McClellan said.

NBC's Kelly O'Donnell wondered if Cheney would be offering any statement himself, even one of regret for the shooting. "You've heard from the vice president's office," McClellan replied.

---snip---

The New York Post's Deb Orin, no Cheney antagonist, tried to sum up what "we're all trying to get at" with the questioning. When Bush accidentally shot a protected bird called a Kildee, he took immediate and public responsibility. Orin wondered why "the vice president has failed in any way to stand up and say, 'I made a mistake.' "

"He has commented through his spokeswoman," McClellan offered, his orange tie failing him.

"But why haven't we heard from him?" interjected Plante.

"I don't think he had any public events scheduled," McClellan replied.

"He could schedule one," Plante persisted. "It would be easy. If he wanted to come over here, you'd probably let him. We would turn up."

McClellan was done taking advice. "OK, then you can start running the vice president's office, Bill."

The spokesman spun and walked away from the podium.

=====================

so what this says to me is three things

1. the press are tired of being treated as stenographers and want answers -- they are not buying the standard BS from McClellan and they won't let this go

2. The Cheney White House isn't talking to the bush* White House - there's a split, a divide and a house divided cannot stand

3. Cheney's refusal to make a public appearance is raising even more questions. Three days and nada - now it's too late for him to salvage any shred of decency. Any statement, any apology, and display of regret is going to be too little too late

He may have been cleared of any "legal" wrong doing in the accident, but the court of public opinion is seeing it differently

[Catherine Vincent]

1. I think he knows his goose is cooked.

He may have done this on purpose so he can step down.:shrug:

[laruemtt]

4. he could have just stepped down

without killing somebody as an excuse. :grr:

[Catherine Vincent]

12. well, hopefully the guy won't die

They may have overplayed the little setup.

[radfringe]

2. and let me add

we have bush* in a bubble and cheney in a bunker -- is it any wonder that everything seems to be falling apart for them?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

3. His failure to own up, show up, or even say sorry is a DISGRACE.

[blueknight]

6. he will NEVER step down

haven't you people seen enough to know this administration has NO SHAME! they caused over 2000 of americas best and brightest to die, not including thousands and thousands of innocent iraqi's. do you really think they care that much about one old man?

[livetohike]

7. Yes and the more time that passes, the worse it will get

He (Cheney) should get out there in public and make a statement. Also, the press corps needs to keep after this.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. It was just an accident. Right?

If that's the case, Cheney ought to just hold a brief press conference and explain it. Plenty of hunters have been in similar situations. Some have even killed ... or died.

Everything in life has a risk, and hunters claim to know that. Let the Gunner-In-Chief be a responsible sportsman and own up to it.

Maybe he can get Ted Nugent to say a few words in his defense.

--p!

[Peace Patriot]

11. This wasn't just any hunting party. It was a VICE PRESIDENTIAL hunting

party with the Secret Service deployed to protect the vice president. So tell me how the Secret Service permitted this old guy with a rifle (Whittington) to break away from the hunting party, disappear from sight, and come back and surprise the V-P. I'm not buying it. This story is phony.

And I wish one of these former lapdog now vigilance (?) White House correspondents would ASK this question! Where the hell was the Secret Service when Whittington went wandering off?

[Jemmons]

13. Cheney might have been drunk while shooting

Whittington might have made a pass on the Swiss Miss the night before.
Cheney might have insulted, threatened or confessed to Whittington before shooting him.
There could be and most likely are complicating factors that Cheney spent 22 hours to bury.

Also - Cheney might have been totally loaded since the leaving the ICU. He is under a lot of pressure now and any assumption that he is cool might be totally wrong.

My guess is that he will hide until he is sober.

[wicket]

8. Speaking of Dana Milbank

Did you see him show up on MSNBC last night in orange hunting gear??

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x409923

:rofl:

[BuyingThyme]

9. I see the shooting as nothing more than a bizarre distraction.

But the people won't hold any of this against him. It's the treason that should/will be his undoing.

[Johonny]

10. He's not toast

He IS the president. The white house can't run without him. (not that it runs with him) Bush has shown no ability to fire anyone based on their actual job performance. In this case he thinks Cheney is doing a great job. He's his most trusted person in the white house. He runs the senators for him. Cheney can not be toast because Bush is too weak a man to ever let him go. It's not like Cheney is going to be less liked now. He's never been popular.

[tonkatoy57]

14. Thanks for the reality check

Cheney IS the president. Short of armed marshals removing him from the premises he ain't going nowhere, except maybe feet first in a pine box if his heart finally gives out.

We all get our hopes up at events that would have torpedoed any other administration, but the rules have changed.

[underpants]

15. That is right

Cheney is the President. This is yet another glaring example that W isn't even told about what happens on a daily basis.