Posted on 02/16/2006 3:29:24 PM PST by Chi-townChief
Dick Cheney has been compared to Aaron Burr, the other vice president who shot a guy. But during his interview with Brit Hume, Cheney seemed like an officer in King Louis XVI's court -- proud of a blase disdain for the people he serves.
His demeanor was of a disrespectful elitist who doesn't regret concealing the shooting of a friend. He looked non-contrite. The sneer. The chill.
The Cheney-Hume volley was soft and sympathetic, like a defense attorney asking a client about basic details. Hume asked few follow-ups. He posed a good-old-boy question, "I take it you missed the bird?" Instead of asking which news leak has most damaged America, he should have grilled Cheney on resulting scandals.
Hume asked one great question. Did Cheney unilaterally declassify spy information? Cheney wouldn't answer. Spooky.
It's no wonder Cheney picked Hume to come out to. Hume played tennis with George H.W. Bush when he covered him for ABC. Hume has known Cheney a long time. Before the interview, he spun the story: "The public isn't very upset about it."
Others at Fox downplayed their scoop. An anchor howled, "Forget about this hunting accident!"
And Fox didn't air the whole interview. What was left on the cutting-room floor?
mailto:delfman@suntimes.com
BONUS COLUMN:
Reasons for keeping mum are matchless
February 16, 2006
BY LYNN SWEET SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
"This is a very complicated story," said Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday, offering a reason why he kept a lid on a Saturday hunting accident.
With that, we gain an exquisite insight into Cheney.
He broke his silence in an exclusive interview with Fox News' Brit Hume, who did a solid job in walking Cheney through the events leading up to and after his accidental shooting of Harry Whittington.
Some brief thoughts:
Cheney: "My first reaction, Brit, was not to think: 'I need to call the press.'" Mr. Vice President, no one expected the press to be called first. It's misleading to let on that the uproar has to do with that.
Cheney: "I had no press person with me." Hey, heard about cell phones? On this being too complicated to handle in a routine way -- the White House deals with complicated news every day. You want complicated? Explain Medicare Part D.
Cheney: "We also didn't know what the outcome here was going to be." We almost never know how stories end. If that were a standard, well, I would not be writing this right now. What we report on is how events begin, Mr. Vice President.
Cheney: "Are they going to take my word for what happened?" Mr. Vice President, you have to ask?
mailto:lsweet3022@aol.com
http://www.suntimes.com/output/sweet/cst-nws-sweet16.html
Mary Jo Kopechne is still unavailable for comment.
I think the Chicago Sun-Times shows a demeanor of disrespectful elitism.
What questions remain unanswered? NONE. The story is DEAD. I've seen little girls with scraped knees cry less.
I don't recall them ever objecting when Clinton did interviews with CNN/ABC/NPR/PBS/NBC/CBS...
This aspect of the story is getting fun.
Nothing much but Dick and Brit laughing about the msm throwing a temper tantrum that would put a two year old to shame.
The self-serving media sloths are the center of their universe.
And just what meaningful questions would the MSM have asked that Brit did not?
Elfman is a TV critic...bwahahahahahahahahahaha!
And his name is fitting of the sort of "man" he is.
Cheney is making all the little sissy boys cry and we get to watch....thank you VP Cheney...you da MAN!
That's not spin, that's fact. Only the White House press corps and the DUmmies care a whit about this.
Well, I s'pose that makes me a Good Ol' Boy, cos' I wonderin' 'bout that myself...
When I heard that Cheney was only giving an interview to Fox, I cheered. Cheney will come out of this with added respect from conservatives-I wish more Republicans would stand up to the malicious MSM. (He does, however, need some counseling with Eddie Eagle.)
Bottom line, the MSM was unable to paint Cheney as a lier through accusations poised as questions. i.e.
Some people are suggesting (fill in the blank). or
Sources close to the incident have revealed (fill in the blank) or
Are you upset by the incident? or
When you shot him in the face did it suddenly strike that this is what our military goes through every day? or...
Do you think this makes the gun control arguement? or...
Isn't this Chappaquidick all over again Mr. Vice President?
and on and on and on...
Well... It looks like I will have to drop in on the fellas at the Chicago Sun-Times between my baby seal hunt in Alaska and my orphan hunt in Vermont...
This story is beginning to resemble the Aruba-Holloway story.
Greta Van Susteren could probably keep this story alive til the '08 elections. Nightly updates with no content. Months of no content, years of no content.
That pretty much describes the White House Press Corps.
Sitting in armchairs waiting for handouts not the best way to get scoops
Members of the elite White House press corps this week have acted more like animals that have been kept in captivity for so long that they can’t find news unless it is forced down their open gullets at a daily press briefing. ..........
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