Double-Barrelled Blast: GMA Floats Cheney Cover-Up, Doubts VP's Account

Good Morning America took took a double-barrelled blast at the Vice President Cheney this morning over his accidental shooting of a quail-hunting companion, suggesting the White House might have tried to cover up the incident, and also calling into question his version of events.

GMA did at first describe the accident as having occurred because the victim, attorney Harry Whittington, failed to observe the quail-hunting rule by which hunters remain in a single line as they advance, indicating that the accident occurred after Whittington left the line to retrieve a bird from the tall grass.

But GMA host Charlie Gibson later claimed that there was "growing political fallout" from the incident, wondering:

"Why didn't the White House tell everyone when this accident happened? Why did they wait so long and did that make a bad situation even worse?"

Normally, the MSM loves to hate talk radio and the pajamahadeen of the blogosphere, but when it suits their purposes . . . ABC White House reporter Jessica Yellin stated that it took the VP's office nearly 24 hours to go public with the incident, adding:

"That delay has prompted speculation online and on talk radio that perhaps Mr. Cheney was hoping to cover up the incident.

So GMA wouldn't offer up the cover-up conspiracy theory on its own, but used the convenient hook of reporting that others - those disreputable new-media types - had.

Gibson then interviewed Kathryn Garcia, the youthful reporter at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times who broke the story. Garcia, manning the paper's news desk on a sleepy Sunday morning, had this world-class story fall into her lap when ranch-owner Katharine Armstrong called in and couldn't find the reporter she was looking for.

Gibson tried to lure Garcia into second-guessing Armstrong and Cheney's account of the accident:

"I know that she told you that Mr. Whittington did not follow protocol and came up from behind the VP and didn't announce that he was there having gone off to fetch a quail. But we've talked to a bunch of hunters who say they've never heard of that, that there's no protocol like that. That the real problem is that the shooter has to be aware of where everyone in his party may be. Do you know anything about hunting protocol?"

The engaging Ms. Garcia wouldn't buy into Gibson's theory. Disclaiming much knowledge of hunting, she did allow that while "you're supposed to look before shooting, I think it would have been smart for Mr. Whittington to announce his presence."

You have already proven your infinitie patience simply by WATCHING those shows for us ; )

Here's an update from how the MSM peppered McClellan at the White House press "gaggle" today:

Published: February 13, 2006 11:30 AM ET

NEW YORK Reporters at White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan's Monday morning press "gaggle" peppered him with questions about the 18-hour delay in any word emerging on Vice President Cheney's shooting incident in Texas on Saturday.

McClellan explained that the White House knew about the accidental shooting of a fellow hunter on Saturday night, but deferred to the vice president's office, which did not announce it. The vice president's office in turn deferred to Katharine Armstrong, the ranch owner in Texas where the shooting took place. She called a Corpus Christi reporter at midday Sunday and only then did the news come out.

McClellan also said Monday, according to The Associated Press, that "Bush and senior aides were told Saturday night by the staff of the White House Situation Room that somebody in the Cheney's hunting party was shot, but he said he was not told until Sunday morning that Cheney was the shooter. He said he contacted the vice president's office and everyone agreed they needed to get the information to the public quickly."

He explained further, “The first priority… was making sure that Mr. Whittington was getting the medical care that he needed. The first priority Saturday night was making sure he receiving medical care and getting to the hospital and being taken care of, and that’s what happened. The vice president’s office was taking the lead on making sure the information got out, and it did. The vice president’s office worked with Mrs. Armstrong to get that information out.’’

Matt Cooper, the Time magazine reporter, said on CBS's "The Early Show" today, "It's clearly an accident, but the fact that the White House didn't release this information, that it sat around for almost a day is in itself, bizarre."

In an online chat at the Washington Post site, the paper's White House reporter Peter Baker said reporters in D.C. are "flabbergasted" by the shooting. He indicated that the Post was looking deeply into how it was reported to the local sheriff and the exact condition of the victim.

"It sure woke up a lot of folks here in Washington on a quiet, snowy Sunday," Baker said. "Whether the story has legs I suppose remains to be seen." He said the delay question is "being asked a lot in Washington today...

"I'm not sure there is a standard protocol when the vice president shoots someone, but it's fair to say reporters prefer that news be disclosed in a timely fashion."

In response to another query he revealed, "we are looking today into the issue of the local sheriff's office and what involvement they had in this. Stay tuned, more to come."

Asked if knew of any other vice president shooting a man, Baker replied: "Obviously there was Aaron Burr shooting Alexander Hamilton in a duel in 1804, but that was actually intentional and in that case the victim died."

The sheer silliness of this whole thing is blowing me away (probably a poor choice of words!) I know quite well how to handle a shotgun, how accidents happen, and how terribly excited non-shooting liberals are about this accident.

I am adding another FR comment to my BEST OF:

1. Best comment I've read...from another FR thread:

"Miss Kopechne could not be reached for comment"
12 posted on 02/13/2006 6:02:31 AM CST by saveliberty ( :-) I am a Snowflake and Bushbot.)

2. LOL. How bout these lines for Cheney's next press corps dinner speech;

"Ted Kennedy and I are going hunting this weekend. He's driving and I'm riding shotgun."

"I took my wife hunting with me. She was scared out of her wits but decided to stay after Teddy offered to drive her home."
32 posted on 02/13/2006 6:33:09 AM CST by Callahan

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