NYT: Cheney Faces Grand Jury Investigation If Man Dies

[ECH1969]

In Texas, Carlos Valdez, the district attorney in Kleberg County, said a fatality would immediately spur a new report from the local sheriff and, most likely, a grand jury investigation.

http://www.drudgereport.com/

[niyad]

1. somebody told me she heard that whittington had a heart attack today

is that true? is he still alive?

[Beetwasher]

7. Yes and Yes

Or rather I should say it's REPORTED he had a heart attack and it's REPORTED that he's still alive. Who knows what to believe.

[LisaL]

10. At his age, a minor heart attack sure doesn't sound good.

Cheney just might end up being investigated by that grand jury after all.

[SPKrazy]

Being Called A "Minor" Heart Attack

a pellet from the shotgun blast has lodged itself in his heart.

Based on his age, and condition, they are probably not going to do any surgery to remove it.

It apparently gave him atrial fibrillation, which is an irregular heartbeat that can be treated with medications. But untreated it can lead to stroke, or oter complications.

[napi21]

9. I hate to anser you thins way, but Sort of.

The Drs reported that the foreign object embeded in Harry's heart muscle caused fibrulation. That is considered in the medical community as a heart attack, but not the kind most people think of.

It didn't cause any permanent damage to the heart, as usually happpens in a typical heart attack.

It is cause for concern because it is embedded in the heard muscle, and could cuase infection, which would require removal.

They are going to observe him for 7 days, and if there is no further progression, he will be discharged and given meds to supress the foreign object in his body.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

12. The heart attack IS permanent damage. When you have a "heart attack",

or myocardial infarction (MI) it means that part of the muscle tissue of the heart DIED. They are able to diagnose it because the dying tissue breaks open and the cells release enzymes that can be detected in a blood test, and there are characteristic EKG patterns.

In this case, the MI is due to direct destruction of heart tissue from the birdshot, and not from an artery blockage as is most common.

But the damage IS permanent.

[TankLV]

16. Not necessairly so.

I had my first heart attack 3 years ago this month due to a blockage - NOTHING was damaged.

Only the enzymes were released.

But during my second one about a year ago, also do to some blockage they couldn't find the first time, this time, it took so long to find the problem, that some of my heart was finally damaged.

There are different definitions/kinds of heart attacks.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

20. The enzymes being released is because of tissue dying, the cells breaking

open as they die. It was probably a small amount of tissue hence little consequence to you, but the death of the cells is permanent.

[napi21]

17. Yes you're right. They described the damage as scar tissue

around where the pellet entered the muscle. Sorry if I described this as not permanent. I was using the info of the Drs who were saying that this is not as serious as most heart attacks, and the patient woule most likely be fine.

[ariellyn]

2. Whittington won't die...he'll be Schiavoed first. nt

[0007]

6. The full court press and the pumps will be going full blast.

Whittington won't die

[bluethruandthru]

3. I think the local sheriff needs to explain

the half-assed investigation they've already done! Why wasn't the shooter tested for alcohol?

[Zen Democrat]

11. Because the Secret Service didn't let the sheriff see Cheney til Sunday.

[bluethruandthru]

15. Someone needs to explain that to the public.

Why couldn't the locals talk to or see Cheney?

[thebigidea]

22. his explanation amounted to basically "i'm friends with the ranch owners."

something like "this is a small community, everybody knows everybody."

yeah, i'm sure EVERYBODY was really chummy with the multi-billionaires and their canned hunts.

[Beetwasher]

4. Heh

n/t

[boobooday]

5. But he was an enemy combatant

And a heretic (he opposed the ever-growing prison industry) and Cheney will invoke the law of the "unitary executive" in his defense.

[Bacchus39]

8. no kidding, that would be involuntary manslaugter

I am not wishing any ill will on the victim though.

[TankLV]

13. He's already died - heard it on NPR a couple hours ago.

Did anybody else hear this?

[txindy]

14. Good Lord! No, I didn't hear anything like that!

What show? What context?

[jsamuel]

18. what?!

no, couldn't be

[Jacobin]

19. no. that's bullshit

[jazzjunkysue]

21. Well, he's 78 and he's got foreign matter in his heart...

Don't think he's eligible for any new health insurance today...


I wouldn't put any $$ on him coming out of this well, at his age.

[radio4progressives]

23. no worries, they'll do a Terri Shiavo on her.. keep her connected to tubes

in perpetuity...

either that or Bush would pardon Cheney or declare that the law doesn't exist, that the Vice President doesn't have to abide by these arcane laws.