Cheney quite a shot

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[wmangum35]

Funny article about our VP.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/02/12/cheney.ap/index.html

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Alicia]

Hunter Shot by Cheney Has Heart Attack

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Guyute]

hmm. I saw the original post headline, and just skipped it, because I knew the story. I'm surprised about the "funny article" comment. hardly funny that someone got shot in the face I'd say. I'm screwy like that though.

as for the victim and his "mild" heart attack... it's quite interesting. you think if he dies Cheney will be subject to manslaughter charges? a normal joe would.

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[Alicia]

hmm...*refraining from comment*

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[tommy]

i heard that the guy was stable and recovering afterward... interesting either way...

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[Canesluver]

Cheney's a dumbass

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[crazy4canes]

Cheney's a dumbass

But how do you really feel? :laugh:

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[rkbrasse]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting I can say Chaney made a stupid mistake. You should never shoot that low.

I've been "peppered" by idiots before also. Nothing ever broke skin but you should never shoot that low without being totally sure of the whereabouts of the rest of your party.

At the same time that guy should have announced his presence also. You're probably not going to flush that covey by saying "Don't shot me, I'm behind you"

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[corylav]

Well being a veteran of this kind of hunting

People hunting?

;)

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[Canesluver]

According to Mr CL, you're supposed to shoot quail by flushing them out walking should-to-shoulder-- not by following one person behind the other....

I didn't catch it... but remember Aerosmith's song, "Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....

dumbass.....

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[wmangum35]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Alicia]

Could still potentially be dangerous...

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The 78-year-old lawyer wounded by Vice President Dick Cheney in a hunting accident suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet in his chest traveled to his heart, hospital officials said. Harry Whittington was immediately moved back to the intensive care unit and will be watched for a week to make sure more of the metal pellets do not reach other vital organs. He was reported in stable condition.

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[Guyute]

HAHA... that's hi-larious! http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/chairfall.gif

ain't it awesome when people get shot? and buckshot travel into their heart. yeeehaaa!

http://www.tridead.net/canes/images/smilies/bugeye.gif

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[puck_it]

thanks for putting my thoughts into words and smilies guy.

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[Night Train]

^ and ^^ agreed

I haven't commented for fear of saying something stupid and offending people I don't want to offend.

There is a politics forum, isn't there?

I hope the guy gets better....

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[CANESFREAKinDET]

I hope the guy gets better too, horrible story. At first I thought it was something like he got shot in the leg or something, but this has all taken a horrible turn.. :sad:

That being said, Cheney IS a dumbass, and I hope he's held accountable like any other regular person would, or I will seriously be done watching the news for a while. I've had enough with biased views, especially about our so-called leaders. :mad: ;)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[SouthernHockeyChick]

I don't think the situation and the guy's injuries are at all funny. Not at all, no matter what my feelings are politically about Cheney.

However, I'm sorry but every single quote I have read from that Armstrong woman has cracked me up. And the poster did say funny "article" not funny "situation."

I mean c'mon....imagine these in that standard Texas drawl....

"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."

"It broke the skin," she 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.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

So...what? You would have just poured some Bactine on it and let him go home? WTF?

"This is something that happens from time to time. You know, I've been peppered pretty well myself," said Armstrong.

She cracks me up. She's so nonchalant and casual about a dude getting shot in the face on her property. I mean, I know Texans are laid back....but damn!

As for the situation, I hope the man recovers well. Doesn't sound like fun at all.

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[CANESFREAKinDET]

Oh I know SHC, it is ridiculous how she talks, especially how we know the situation has gotten all that worse!! :crazy:

I haven't seen anything on the news thats well..new lol...but heres to hoping the guy recovers quickly. :) Accident or not, like I said Cheney needs to be held responsible like I would be if I did that to someone (never hunted tho) :sick:

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[Caniac]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[puckin_A]

"Jamie's Got a Gun,"... well... I guess there's a wicked parody out now... "Cheney's Got a Gun"....


lol....perfect

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[Alicia]

Cheney has an ambulance on call? :crazy:

If you'd had as many heart attacks as that guy, you'd want an ambulance within 15 yards of you at all times. And being the Veep, it's provided.

I SO want to comment...wrong forum. :evil:

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[caniac369]

I saw this yesterday and laughed my @ss off. Then I saw a snipet on the news of some whitehouse press core guy going off on the WH press rep about how it was over 24 hours before it was reported by the whitehouse. Then the gal on the TV says "whitehouse has directed comments to the office of the VP, office of the VP has directed questions to the owner/operator of the ranch where the incident happened". :crazy:
See I am not the only one who thought it was funny. The guy is fine, and he will recover, therefore it's funny.
Thanks, wmangum35.

And for clarification:
A man was shot- not funny.
The man had a heart attack- not funny.
Sitting back and watching the WH et al swirl this around and play the oh so entertaining game of spin - funny.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[Alicia]

VP Accident Tale Filled With Discrepancies
By CALVIN WOODWARD and NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writers
Sat Feb 18, 3:52 AM ET



WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney said he didn't immediately disclose his hunting accident because he wanted the confusing details to come out right. Instead, authorized accounts came out slowly — and often still wrong.

The result: a week of shifting blame, belatedly acknowledged beer consumption (not "zero" drinking after all) and evolving discrepancies in how the shooting happened, its aftermath and the way it was told to the nation.

"There's a reason they call this crisis management," said corporate damage-control specialist Eric Dezenhall, "and that's because it's a mess."

___

BLAME

In the first days after the vice president wounded attorney Harry Whittington while shooting at quail last Saturday in Texas, blame was placed on the victim for not announcing his presence to fellow hunter Cheney.

"The vice president did everything right," Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner approved by Cheney to disclose the accident, said Monday. Whittington, 78, should have shouted that he was rejoining the hunting group after drifting off to retrieve a downed bird. "The mistake exposed him to getting shot," she said. "It's incumbent on him. He did not do that."

The White House picked up on that theme the same day in attempting to deflect any responsibility from the vice president. "If I recall," Bush spokesman Scott McClellan said of Armstrong, "she pointed out that the protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington, when it came to notifying the others that he was there."

The about-face came Wednesday when Cheney made his first public comment on the accident.

"It was not Harry's fault," he said. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."

___

DRINKING

Although there is no evidence that beer impaired Cheney's judgment, initial denials that he had consumed alcohol were wrong.

"No one was drinking," Armstrong said at the outset. "No, zero, zippo." She said the hunters washed down lunch with Dr Pepper. Later, she qualified her comments and said beer might have been in the cooler but she did not think anyone drank any.

The investigating officer from the Kenedy County sheriff's department, after interviewing Whittington in the hospital, reported that the victim "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt."

Authorities did not investigate the accident until the next day. The Texas Parks and Wildlife accident report, dated two days after the shooting, checked "No" on the question of whether Cheney appeared under the influence of intoxicants. It did not address whether the hunters had been drinking at all. (The report also included a diagram depicting Whittington's wounds on the wrong side of his body.)

Cheney acknowledged Wednesday, "I had a beer at lunch" several hours before the group's afternoon hunt, asserting "nobody was under the influence."

___

VICTIM'S CONDITION

In the rush to assure everyone Whittington was "just fine," some important details were left out.

Initial reports had him treated at the scene, then taken by ambulance to the hospital, where in no time he was cracking jokes with the nurses. It turned out that after being taken to the emergency room of a local, small hospital, he was flown by helicopter to the intensive care unit of the larger hospital in Corpus Christi.

According to Armstrong's initial account of the accident scene: "He was talking. His eyes were open." Later, Cheney said that when he rushed up to the stricken man and talked to him, Whittington had one eye open and did not respond. He was, however, conscious.

Doctors said Tuesday that Whittington suffered a mild heart attack while in the hospital when one of the pellets migrated to his heart. He was released Friday.

___

LICENSE

Cheney did not have all his hunting papers in order, as suggested by the White House and initially stated by Texas authorities.

On Sunday, a spokesman for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department said Cheney was legally hunting with a license he bought in November. While that was true, the department's accident report the next day stated that he was in violation of a law requiring him to have an upland game bird stamp.

___

DISCLOSURE

The accident raised questions about the flow of information into and out of the White House communications apparatus.

Asked why no one released news of the shooting on Saturday night, McClellan said "the vice president's office was working to make sure information got out" but that details were slow to reach Washington that evening.

Armstrong, for her part, said no one at the ranch even discussed releasing the news on Saturday.

She said her family realized Sunday morning that it would be a story and decided to call the local newspaper, the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. She said she then discussed news coverage with Cheney for the first time.

"I said, 'Mr. Vice President, this is going to be public, and I'm comfortable going to the hometown newspaper,'" she told The Associated Press. "And he said, 'You go ahead and do whatever you are comfortable doing.'"

___

TELLING WASHINGTON

McClellan said President Bush was told shortly before 8 p.m. EST Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, less than half an hour after Bush first heard there had a been an accident of some sort involving Cheney's hunting party. Confirmation that Cheney was the shooter was obtained when deputy chief of staff Karl Rove called Armstrong, McClellan said.

However, McClellan said he didn't personally know Cheney was the shooter until the next morning, about 6 a.m. EST Sunday, when he was awakened with the news.

He said he only knew the previous evening that someone in Cheney's party had been involved in a hunting accident.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
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Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
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The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.

[tommy]

Man shot by Cheney says he’s sorry for friend
Whittington doesn’t take questions about accident

WASHINGTON - The lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney during a hunting trip was discharged from a hospital on Friday and told reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced over the past week.

Harry Whittington, wearing a suit and tie, gave a brief statement and didn’t take questions. His voice was a bit raspy but strong, and he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck.

“We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue,” the 78-year-old Austin attorney said in a brief statement. “Accidents do and will happen.”
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during a hunting trip at a South Texas ranch. He had been in stable condition in a Corpus Christi hospital since suffering a mild heart attack Tuesday after a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart.

Cheney took full blame for the shooting in an interview Wednesday with Fox News, his first public comments on what happened that day.

In his statement, Whittington said the past weekend had encompassed friends and family in “a cloud of misfortune and sadness.”

“My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with,” he said.

Whittington finished by praising his doctors. “They are truly remarkable servants of God and I’m extremely blessed for all they’ve done.”

‘Long week’ for Cheney
Cheney returned to his home state of Wyoming on Friday, getting a standing ovation from state lawmakers.

“It’s a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It’s especially true when you’ve had a very long week,” he said ahead of a planned speech. “Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well.”

On Thursday, President Bush said he was satisfied with Cheney's explanation about the shooting accident.

The accident happened on Saturday but was not publicly revealed until the next day.

“I thought the vice president handled the issue just fine,” the president said. “Yesterday when he was here in the Oval Office I saw the deep concern he had about a person who he wounded. I thought yesterday’s explanation was a very strong and important explanation to make to the American people.”

The remarks were Bush’s first since the incident.

Meanwhile, a Texas county sheriff’s office said no charges would be filed against Cheney in the incident, and closed the investigation.

Bush said it was “a deeply traumatic moment for him and obviously it was a tragic moment for Harry Whittington.”

Bush said Democrats were drawing “the wrong conclusion about a tragic accident” when they say it depicts the White House as overly secretive.
Cheney spoke publicly Wednesday
Cheney himself spoke publicly about the accident for the first time Wednesday in an exclusive interview with Fox News Channel. He said he did not see Whittington until just after he fired on a covey of quail and peppered him with bird shot in the face, neck and chest.

Cheney described it as “one of the worst days of my life” and rejected the notion that Whittington bears any responsibility. “I’m the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend,” Cheney said.

Cheney also defended his decision to keep it from the public until a day after it happened.
Story continues below ↓ advertisement

The vice president acknowledged that Bush press secretary Scott McClellan and Bush communications adviser Dan Bartlett urged him to release information about the accident quickly. But he said he made the ultimate decision to have the owner of the Texas ranch to reveal it to a local newspaper without any official announcement from the White House.

That decision created a major public relations problem for the White House, with some Republicans even suggesting that it made the situation worse by suggesting the possibility of some sort of cover-up.

Cheney said the accident happened after Whittington stepped out of the hunting party to retrieve a downed bird in deep cover. Cheney said he and a third hunter walked about 100 yards away to where another covey had been spotted. Immediately after he shot at a bird flying to his right, he said he saw his 78-year-old companion in his line of fire.

“The image of him falling is something I’ll never ever be able to get out of my mind,” Cheney said. “I fired, and there’s Harry falling. It was, I’d have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment.”

Sun in his eyes
He said Whittington was dressed properly in blaze orange and the upper part of his body was visible, but that he was standing in a gully with the sun behind him, which affected his view.

“I saw him fall, basically. It had happened so fast,” Cheney said. “He was struck in the right side of his face, his neck and his upper torso on the right side of his body.”

“I take it you missed the bird?” Hume asked.

“I have no idea,” Cheney said. “I mean, you focused on the bird, but as soon as I fired and saw Harry there, everything else went out of my mind.”

He said Whittington was conscious and breathing but stunned silent.

“I ran over to him,” Cheney said. “He was laying there on his back, obviously, bleeding. You could see where the shot struck him.

“I said, ‘Harry, I had no idea you were there.’ He didn’t respond,” Cheney said.

A beer at lunch
Cheney said he had had a beer at lunch that day but nobody was drinking when they went back out to hunt a couple hours later. Law enforcement officials ruled out alcohol as a factor.

The Cheney shooting A CHRONOLOGY
What happened in the Cheney shooting (All times ET)
• Saturday, Feb. 11
• Saturday evening
• Sunday, Feb. 12
• Monday, Feb. 13
• Tuesday, Feb. 14
• Wednesday, Feb. 15
• Thursday, Feb. 16

4 p.m.: Vice President Cheney begins an afternoon quail hunt with four other hunters on the private Armstrong Ranch in south Texas. They had been hunting earlier in the day, but took a break for lunch.

6:30 p.m.: Cheney accidentally shoots fellow hunter Harry Whittington while aiming for a bird. Secret Service agents and medical personnel with Cheney tend to wounds on Whittington’s face, neck and chest.

7:20 p.m.: An ambulance takes Whittington to Christus Spohn Hospital Kleburg.

7:30 p.m.: White House chief of staff Andrew Card tells President Bush there was an accident, but Card is unaware Cheney was involved.

7:50 p.m.: The head of the Secret Service office in McAllen, Texas, calls the Kenedy County sheriff to report the accident. The sheriff asks to speak to Cheney, and they schedule an interview for 9 a.m. Sunday. At the White House, presidential aide Karl Rove tells Bush that Cheney was the shooter, after talking to ranch owner Katharine Armstrong.

Source: The Associated Press • Print this

Cheney said he still believes it was the right decision to allow ranch owner Katharine Armstrong to disclose the accident to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times the day after the accident.

“We really didn’t know until Sunday morning that Harry was probably going to be OK, that it looked like there hadn’t been any serious damage to any vital organ,” he said. “And that’s when we began the process of notifying the press.”

Armstrong has suggested that Whittington was at fault in the shooting because, she said, he failed to announce himself as he returned to the hunting line after breaking off to retrieve a downed bird. But Cheney, who has been hunting for at least 12 years, said in no uncertain terms that Whittington was not at fault.

“You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time, but that’s the bottom line and — it was not Harry’s fault,” he said.

NBC News contributed to this report.