From the WSJ, “Cheney’s Coverup”:
The press corps is outraged that the White House waited 20 hours or so to disclose that Vice President Dick Cheney had shot a hunting companion, and we can see why. Don’t these Bush people understand that the coverup is worse than the crime?
In the name of media solidarity, and in the interest of restraining the Imperial Presidency, we have put together the following coverup timeline with crucial questions that deserve to be answered:
• 5:30 p.m., Saturday (all times Central Standard Time). Mr. Cheney sprays Harry Whittington with birdshot, and the Secret Service immediately informs local police. Who is Harry Whittington and whom does he lobby for? Does he know Scooter Libby?
• 6:30 p.m. White House Chief of Staff Andy Card informs President Bush that there’s been a hunting accident involving the Vice President’s party. Did Mr. Bush ask followup questions? Was he intellectually curious?
• 7 p.m. Karl Rove tells Mr. Bush that it is Mr. Cheney who did the shooting. Why was this detail withheld for a full 30 minutes from the President? Who else did Mr. Rove talk to about this in the interim? Was Valerie Plame ever mentioned?
• 5 a.m., Sunday. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan learns that Mr. Cheney is the shooter. He also fails to alert the media. Did he rush to write talking points or fall back to sleep?
• 11 a.m. Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch where the shooting took place, blows the story sky-high by giving the news to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. According to Ms. Armstrong, Mr. Cheney told her to do what she thought made sense. Has Ms. Armstrong ever worked for Halliburton?
• 11:27 a.m., Monday. Mr. McClellan finally holds a press conference and gets grilled. One reporter actually asks (and we’re not making this one up), “Would this be much more serious if the man had died?”
• 1:30 p.m. The Texas paper posts the story on its Web site, after calling the Veep’s office for confirmation. Everyone involved confirms more or less everything, or so the official line goes. Their agreement is very suspicious.
For the record, Mr. McClellan replied, “Of course it would.” We hope the 78-year-old Mr. Whittington recovers promptly after his heart attack yesterday. As for the Beltway press corps, it has once again earned the esteem in which it is held by the American public.
Yes, sure, make fun.
But none of this changes the “potential” for a prosecution for criminal negligence should Mr Whittington die. After all, an accident is one thing. But a worse accident is entirely other.
At least, if you are of a certain amusing partisan mindset.
(h/t Terry Hastings)
There is such a thing as involuntary manslaughter, though.
I involuntarily slay myself all the time.
On the “potentialness” we do have to note that this is Texas justice we’re talking about here. Could that be a factor?
Texas justice is brutal, I’m here to tell you.
If potential is all that the left has to clutch at, then let them clutch away. It keeps them busy while the adults keep the country running.
Texas justice versus, say, Massachussets justice, actus?
Fucking biggests TERRORISTS in the world! The Bush Administration hunts the elderly for FUN!
I know this is treason and all, but I would so pay Bin Laden to drop a Chappaquidick reference into a tape.
That’ll teach Cheney’s people to waste time notifying the police when they should have been notifying the authorities.
Sanity Inspector: criminally negligent homicide is punished as involuntary manslaughter. It’s, functionally, the same thing.
I think Zrimsek’s got the comment of the day. Any seconds?
No, Slartibartfast, you are correct. Zrimsek closed the thread.
The bassard.
I’ll second that. Done and done.
Well, to be fair to Actus, yeah, the fact that it’s Texas would be a factor.
In Texas, they’ve got a fucking clue. From all appearances, that isn’t true of the wet edges of the continent.
Heh. Of course, notification—say, three days later—couldn’t possibly be partisan.
Paul slam dunked it.
This is simply outrageous, taking personal shots at me and my WHite House press corps colleagues, otally outrageous and uncivil.
I am getting worked up over this right now! Dammit, where are my answers fro Vice President Cheney!
– McCauliffe just went on FOX and in his inimitable way, managed to get everyone of the Dem attack points wrong….
– But its ok. Mary Matlin got on the phone to the newscast and straightened it all out for him….
Uh, David, if I were you I wouldn’t push my luck with the “personal shots” line…
This just in: Pat Leahy is rescheduling his vacations for the next three years to coincide with Cheney’s visits to the Capitol. Developing…
What I find particularly galling is the way Cheney is taking full responsibility for this. Doesn’t he know that when you shoot somebody you’re supposed to blame your parents, your school, The Man—anybody but yourself.
Oh, wait. Cheney is The Man.
that or make a rap song about it