Update 2: Shooting Holes in Cheney's Story

[katty]

cont'd: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/2/15/71550/5894

Update II: Shooting Holes In Cheney's Story
by BarbinMD
Wed Feb 15, 2006 at 05:15:50 AM PDT

The other day I posted a diary that began:


It will come as no surprise that during today's White House press briefing, Dick Cheney's hunting adventure was the hot topic. Are you thinking, "boring," or, "I'm sooo tired of this story?" That's where I was...but after Scott's performance this afternoon? I'm now wondering if the Dick-shot-man story will be going away soon.

And in the course of the discussion in that diary, I jokingly wrote:

I (barely) resisted the urge to say Scott's story was full of holes.

And now, (barely) three days after the shooting story broke, I've realized how many holes in the story there truly are. What follows is a compilation of the conflicting statements of just one person...Dick Cheney's friend and alibi, Katharine Armstrong.


BarbinMD's diary :: ::
Let's begin with Katharine Armstrong, Dick Cheney's witness-in-chief, and ipso-facto press secretary. It is her version of events that has been disseminated around the world, she was the only witness cited on the accident report, and it was of Armstrong that Scott McClellan said when asked about the circumstances of the shooting, "You ought to check with her." So, what happened that day, according to Armstong?


Whittington "came up from behind the vice president and the other hunter and didn't signal them or indicate to them or announce himself," Armstrong said.

"The vice president didn't see him," she continued. "The covey flushed and the vice president picked out a bird and was following it and shot. And by God, Harry was in the line of fire and got peppered pretty good."


But what is left out of that now familiar quote is this important detail:


From what Armstrong said she saw as she sat in the hunt vehicle about 100 yards from Cheney and the other hunters...

Think about that. Armstrong was sitting in a car that was parked the length of a football field away, yet she not only could see that Whittington didn't signal, she knew that he didn't announce his return. Even accepting the story that she could see the events clearly from that distance, she certainly wouldn't have been able to hear what Whittington did or didn't say.

And what about Armstrong's repeated efforts to downplay Whittington's injuries?

[ellenfl]

1. what happened to the 3rd hunter? i heard that there were

3 hunters . . . cheney, whittington and? obviously not armstrong because she was in the car.

ellen fl

[joemurphy]

2. By God she was probably peppering her brain with beer. n/t

[Peanutcat]

3. Well . . . . .

Was Whittington between her and Cheney? If that's so, she was only 10 yards away from Whittington, because by all reports, Whittington was 30 yards behind Cheney? Now if she was on the other side, with Cheney between her and Whittington . . . . .

[tiptoe]

4. k&r

Cheney used Armstrong. a paid WH lobbyist, to give his alibi to the press

From a Criminal Lawyer: Cheney May Be Guilty of Felony Witness Tampering

[cliss]

5. This is great......

keep talking, Dick. Keep talking, Armstrong. Just wait till Whittington feels well enough to start talking.

That ought to stir things up a bit.

[fknobbit]

7. Austin Lawyer Harry "quail" whittington

Is the number uno go to guy for texas cover ups, He will never talk, forgedaboutit!

[Solomon]

17. LOL! Good one. Harry "Quail" Whittington

[mzteris]

6. She clearly states she didn't know

what the h#ll was going on:

"Armstrong said she saw Cheney's security detail running toward the scene. "The first thing that crossed my mind was he had a heart problem," she told The Associated Press."

[b smith]

9. New member here...

.....its sure is funny all the cover up and stalling with the shooting. Wish Cheney and Bush would just tell the whole story the first time.
And with all the grief Gore is getting with telling the truth about how the USA is treating Arabs and other Muslims with no respect. No wonder the world hates "all" americans.
BUCK

[bleever]

10. Welcome to DU, b smith!

:hi:

[Larissa238]

12. Welcome to DU

:) :toast:

[mzteris]

19. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

This place gets a little wild and crazy sometimes - but it's the best place to get all the facts -

and most of the conspiracy theories. :rofl:


Newbies are frequently suspect until they've been around long enough to dispel suspicion - everyone goes through it, though, so don't worry - it'll pass. :)

[OnyxCollie]

8. Alcohol was not involved.

I was listening to NPR on the way home today. The sherriff's report said alcohol was not involved, but when hospital officials were asked if Whittington tested positive for blood alcohol, they declined to comment.

Gee, why would they do that?

[Larissa238]

11. because there is nothing they can say.

A "no comment" is probably all they were allowed by security.... Im suprised they just didnt lie outright again.

[OnyxCollie]

16. But why would they need to lie?

It was documented in a public record, the police report. What would be the harm in confirming it? It would appear suspicious to decline to comment.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Alcohol was involved

Cheney admitted he had a beer at lunch.

[dweller]

14. thus, he lied to the police?

dp

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. Of course

I don't think he could tell the truth even if he wanted to.

[fknobbit]

18. Has there ever been an offical police report released? nt

[Catrina]

20. Yes, and the official report said that there was no alcohol involved

in the accident and that Armstrong was an eye-witness.

We know now that the police didn't talk to either Cheney or Whittington, so how did they know there was no alcohol involved? They were not allowed to talk to Cheney!

And as far as Armstrong being an eye-witness, she gave that impression, when she said spoke to the press, but gave herself away when she said that she was sitting in the car and saw Cheney's SS detail running towards where he was shooting. She thought he had a problem with his heart, got out of the car and followed the SS and realized it Whittington, not Cheney who was in trouble.

This woman has told so many half-truths it's hard to keep up with them.

Even Cheney himself contradicted her when he said that Whittington was bleeding and not responding when he went over to him.

She said he just got 'peppered' and gave the impression he was conscious and talking and that's what we all thought in the beginning ~

They stopped the police from getting in, presumably to get the 'facts' straight, but can't even coordinate their stories.

I think someone needs to question the police as to why they wrote up an 'official' record without having a clue as to what really happened.

And the real eye-witness appears to have been the Swiss Ambassador ~ no one apparently spoke to her yet. What are they waiting for? Now, she's had time to back up Cheney's story. They obstructed justice and I think all of them need to be brought in for questioning now.

[dweller]

21. so, she lied too?

(of course these are rhetorical ?'s...)

a local newspaper around here reported the AP version monday: In an interview with AP, Armstrong said Whittington, 78, was mostly injured on his right side. The pellets hit his cheek, neck and chest during the incident, which occurred late Saturday afternoon. The Vice President's office did not disclose the accident until nearly 24 hours after it happened.
"It broke the skin,"Armstrong said of the shotgun pellets. "It knocked him silly. But he was fine. He was talking. His eyes were open. It didn't get in his eyes or anything like that."


yeah, the Swiss Mistress needs to bring her version of the truth to the light of day.
dp

[fknobbit]

24. I understood Armstrong called it in and made

an appointment for Sheriff to investigate. I can't find that the scene of the crime was ever investigated. This would be critical and detrimental to any case they might bring against ol dead eye.

[dweller]

22. okay, i've noticed another 'discrepancy'

i think.

Reports say Harry took the shots on his right side. In Bwana Dick's lies/interview with Faux news, he states: "but bird flushed and went to my right, off to the west. I turned and shot at the bird, and at that second, saw Harry standing
there. Didn't know he was there -- "

so, Bwana Dick must have been facing south to have turned to the right (into the west) following the bird. And for Harry to have been shot on his right side, he must have been facing north (or perhaps east and turned north at the last second relying on his lightening fast 78yr old reflexes), yet if he was coming up from behind Bwana, he would have been traveling south (presenting left side to hunter) or else he walked backward into the line of fire.

confused yet?


dp

[Catrina]

23. *lol* ~ my head is spinning ~ but I think someone else mentioned

that also, that he could not have been shot on the right if Cheney's version was correct ~ and where is the bird? Did he hit it? If so that would be some evidence to show he was aiming at a bird. Cheney says he didn't know if he hit it or not!! Well, was there a bird body anywhere around? He could have said 'no, I missed it and the bird flew off' but he didn't say that.

Thanks for the exact words of Ms. Armstrong ~ but unfortunately for her, Cheney contradicted her completely.

He told Brit Hume that Whittington was 'bleeding and not responding' when he went over to him ~ someone needs to get their stories straight. I understood from her that there was no blood, and Whittington was chatting happily after being 'peppered pretty good'.

I suppose this is the reason why we have investigations to begin with, so that the facts are determined right away, and eye-witnesses (real eye-witnesses) can tell the police what they saw ~

[OnyxCollie]

25. I too, have been trying to work that out.

Cheney said they (Cheney, Harry, Armstrong (I assume she was the guide), and Joe Unidentified) get out of the car and shoot some birds. Harry can't find his. Cheney, Armstrong and Joe U. walk a hundred yards in the other direction (south). Cheney hears a noise, turns to his right (west) and fires. The setting sun, he says, is in his eyes. Harry, he says, is walking up a gully. If Cheney is aiming down, into a gully, how could the sun be in his eyes? Harry is struck on the right side. Did Cheney turn nearly all the way around to hit Harry on the right side? Why would he fire knowing that behind him, somewhere, is Harry? Did Harry walk all the way around to approach Cheney from the side? If so, he would have clearly seen Cheney at the top of a gully with the setting sun illuminating his blaze orange coat.