Cheney's companion at fault in shooting, White House says

Knight Ridder ^ | 2/13/06

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Posted on Mon, Feb. 13, 2006

Cheney's companion at fault in shooting, White House says

By William Douglas

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WASHINGTON - The White House blamed the 78-year-old man whom Vice President Dick Cheney shot during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas for the incident, as officials struggled Monday to explain why they waited nearly 24 hours before making the news public.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to absolve Cheney of blame for shooting wealthy Austin lawyer Harry Whittington, saying that hunting "protocol was not followed by Mr. Whittington when it came to notifying others that he was there. And so, you know, unfortunately, these types of hunting accidents happen from time to time."

Several hunting experts were skeptical of McClellan's explanation. They said Cheney might have violated a cardinal rule of hunting: Know your surroundings before you pull the trigger.

"Particularly identify the game that you are shooting and particularly identify your surroundings, that it's safe to shoot," said Mark Birkhauser, the incoming president of the International Hunter Education Association, a group of fish and wildlife agencies. "Every second, you're adjusting your personal information that it is a safe area to shoot or it's not a safe area to shoot."

Safe-hunting rules published by the National Rifle Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department echo Birkhauser's advice.

Cheney has a Texas non-resident hunting license, but he failed to get a $7 stamp that's required to hunt game birds, the vice president's office said in a statement Monday night. He has since sent a check to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to buy the stamp, the statement said.

Whittington was listed in stable condition Monday at a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, with birdshot wounds to his face, neck and chest. The shooting occurred about 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Armstrong Ranch, a 50,000-acre spread in south Texas owned by friends of the president.

White House and Texas law enforcement officials haven't provided a detailed account of the incident. Katharine Armstrong, one of the ranch's owners, said Cheney, Whittington and another hunter got out of their vehicle to shoot a covey of quail. The third member of the hunting party was the U.S. ambassador to Switzerland, Pamela Willeford, a Texan and a Bush family friend.

Whittington shot a bird and went to get it, breaking from Cheney and Willeford. Armstrong said Whittington then came up from behind without signaling, and as a covey flushed Cheney wheeled and fired his .28-gauge shotgun, hitting Whittington.

Whittington was tended at the scene by Cheney's medical detail before being taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Though the shooting happened Saturday afternoon, it didn't become public knowledge until Armstrong notified the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, her local paper, at midday Sunday. The White House then confirmed news media requests for verification.

The lag between the shooting and the reporting of it prompted questions about why a private citizen, not the government, was disclosing a shooting involving the vice president.

McClellan said Monday that Cheney's staff didn't immediately inform the media because the first priority was tending to Whittington's health.

McClellan said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove told Bush around 8 p.m. Saturday that Cheney had shot Whittington, but McClellan said he himself didn't learn that Cheney was the shooter until around 6 a.m. Sunday. He said he urged Cheney's office to get the information out as quickly as possible. The news broke nationally about 3:45 p.m. EST Sunday.

Lee Anne McBride, Cheney's press secretary, talked Sunday about Whittington's condition and said the vice president had spoken with him and was pleased with his condition. But she referred most questions - from the names of everyone in the hunting party to what type of weapon Cheney had fired - to Armstrong.

"The vice president thought that Mrs. Armstrong should be the first one to go out there and provide that information to the public, which she did," McClellan said.

Cheney's office has a history of not sharing information with the public. Last month, it refused to specify the nature of a foot injury for which he was given medication that caused water retention and shortness of breath and sent him to the hospital.

"He's secretive by nature," said Larry Sabato, the director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics. "It's a dumb thing for officials to do, especially someone as experienced as Cheney. Just imagine what Jon Stewart, Jay Leno and David Letterman are going to do to him for days. It's a self-inflicted wound."

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For more information about hunting safety, visit the National Rifle Association at www.nra.org, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at www.tpwd.state.tx.us, and the International Hunter Education Association at www.ihea.com. For the first two sites, key in the search words "hunter safety" to access the rules.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Cheney's companion at fault in shooting, White House says

That's what Alan Simpson told Chris Matthews on Hardball today.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I was at fault for getting my nose broken once.

I kept banging it into this other guy's fist during a fight.

[CindyDawg]

I read an article that the SS notified the police within the hour.

[Boundless]

So was the normal risk of hunting party fratricide
increased because this was the VP, and the party
included a bunch of Secret Service folks, and perhaps
a photographer?

[IRememberElian]

They're old friends. Has the word "alcohol" been spoken out loud yet?

[neodad]

read an article that the SS notified the police within the hour.

Jahwol, herr Rove.

[joesnuffy]

Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.

[Williams]

I cannot see the scandal in this one. There is no law that you call the press right away to report a hunting accident.

[harpo11]

I'm sorry, but I'm thinking that the No. 2 elected official in this country might have a lot more on his mind than renewing some $7 dollar hunting license stamp. I mean after all, cut the guy some slack. Why doesn't he have staff to pick up on some these less critical details, like hunting license stamps? Where were his protective agents and why didn't they see who was behind our Vice President to ensure his safety?

I also want to send my prayers and thoughts to Mr. Whittington and his family for a speedy recovery.

[tomahawk]

We need to bomb Iran's nuke facilities, not hunt for birds.

[chasio649]

Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond it.

---

Nothing else needs to be said about this event.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Hell...maybe the word is "crippy."

[Howlin]

Cheney's companion at fault in shooting, White House says

But that is NOT what the White House said.

[Lancey Howard]

Was Cheney wearing his glasses?
Do Whittington and Patrick Leahy look alike?

[Howlin]

The sheriff said the Secret Service called him within ten minutes of the incident.

[Roverman2K]

Good point, there were a lot of people and distractions, flushing Quail is a 360 degree sport, the act of "flushing" means they burst out from anywhere, Dogs help. Just an accident, it happens, a bit unsettling though. It seems odd to happen to a VP, what if it were Him instead and he was killed. Oh well I guess the same could be said for skying, remember poor Sonny Bono and the Kennedy kid.

[Howlin]

Yes. Alcohol was not involved.

[DoNotDivide]

McClellan ain't the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Just say "He messed up real bad, he's sorry, and fortunately, his hunting buddy will be alright. Mistakes happen and this should be a lesson to all hunters.".

[BigSkyFreeper]

Yep. The headline actually sounds more like it came from Alan Simpson than from the White House.

[yarddog]

The guy who got shot may have contributed to the accident but the shooter is just about always the one truly at fault.

I would say always but someone could probably think of a scenario where he wasn't, but I can't.

[Petronski]

Cheney might have violated a cardinal rule of hunting...

Crucify him!

[Howlin]

but I'm thinking that the No. 2 elected official in this country might have a lot more on his mind than renewing some $7 dollar hunting license stamp.

Cheney had a legitimate license to hunt; he just did not have a $7 bird stamp, which is NEW to Texas this year.

[CindyDawg]

Funny how even 10 minutes can be worded to less than an hour:')

[Loud Mime]

Cheney's heart problems make alcohol a big no=no.

[BigSkyFreeper]

They're old friends. Has the word "alcohol" been spoken out loud yet?

Alcohol was not involved.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Alcohol was not involved."

It was weed, wasn't it?

[Howlin]

It's funny how everything is being twisted.

[ArmyTeach]

Here's the deal. Error on both sides. Whittingdon for not announcing his return to the firing area and Cheney for not maintaining situational awareness. Thank heavens nobody was seriously hurt. Move on, no story here.

[roses of sharon]

Doesn't the police report have a thread?

[Holicheese]

Hey I remember you! Sorry about that!

[Liberty Valance]

LOL!!!

[Howlin]

Yes.

[EagleUSA]

Do Whittington and Patrick Leahy look alike?
------
Maybe with his specks off, he looks like Clinton!!!????

[ArmyTeach]

PS- Cheney reported the incident to the appropriate venue. The White House press has no reason to expect that they should be the first to know. Bloated egos.

[BigSkyFreeper]

Right. It's funny how this whole story changes with each cycle of the news. If a parade horse flatulated in Somewhere, USA, some dopey reporter is going to ask the White House's take on it.

That's what journalism has come to these days.

[Hank Rearden]

I'm sorry, but I'm thinking that the No. 2 elected official in this country might have a lot more on his mind than renewing some $7 dollar hunting license stamp.

All of us have more on our minds than that, not just politicians, so I assume we all would get it smoothed over too, with no consequences?

[Luis Gonzalez]

"White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan tried to absolve Cheney of blame for shooting wealthy Austin lawyer Harry Whittington."

He shot a lawyer?

His job approval rating is going to be in the 90's by the end of the week.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Blame the victim?

[Hank Rearden]

I bet he didn't buy any lawyer tags, either. Or is it always just open season?

[AD from SpringBay]

The White House blamed the 78-year-old man whom Vice President Dick Cheney shot during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas for the incident, as officials struggled Monday to explain why they waited nearly 24 hours before making the news public.

What a sentence - 'blamed' and 'struggled', but only for a Republican administration. Does anybody have any original news stories about a Mr. Vincent Foster and Fort Marcy Park? What were the headlines about then? I wonder why the Press Corps didn't want a minute by minute account of that incident? Or, where were all these inquiring minds when Mr. Clinton was governor of Arkansas? There was quite a body count back then, but of course the details weren't important.

[Wycowboy]

It was weed, wasn't it?

LOL. Man, you're having waaay too much fun.

[harpo11]

Thanks for clarification. Makes it all the more sorrier on the part of the press to have such a sanctimonious delight in capricious misdescribing the facts.

[econjack]

On the radio today, Hannity replayed the Washington Press Corps questions, one of which was:

"Do you think the Vice President should resign?"

All I can say is that I'm glad I wasn't the one she asked. Fifteen tons of words would have rained down on her in a few nano seconds, and "smart" wouldn't have been one of them.

[Krankor]

But that is NOT what the White House said.
What do you mean?

[BigSkyFreeper]

When the USA Today's front page was screaming "Open Season On Cheney" in the newspaper this morning, you didn't have to read the article to figure out where this story was headed.

[Howlin]

Bloated egos is right; after all, they have a right to swarm over that ranch, demanding answers and perhaps even get pictures of the blood in the field.

[Liberty Valance]

sometimes you're the windshield
sometimes you're the bug

;o)

[econjack]

Does anybody have any original news stories about a Mr. Vincent Foster and Fort Marcy Park? What were the headlines about then? I wonder why the Press Corps didn't want a minute by minute account of that incident?

Oh man...what a wonderful point!!!

[iPod Shuffle]

The common folk would quietly pay the fine, but it wouldn't be a national spectacle. it works both ways.. powerful people are cut more breaks, but they face more scrutiny for making those mistakes.