Free Republic

Goodness gracious! Could it be that comedians are doing a better job of connecting the dots regarding Dick Cheney's high crimes and misdemeanors than are the unintentionally ridiculous members of the White House press corps? "Huntergate" is certainly worthy of coverage, especially now that the vice president has admitted to downing a beer before shooting a fellow hunter. But the on-bended-knee "reporters" who hang around the briefing room waiting for a presidential spokesman to feed them their daily diet of spin look pretty absurd chasing after this particular story with so much gusto while they continue to ignore the big...

Texas police have cleared US Vice President Dick Cheney of any wrongdoing over the weekend mishap in which he shot a 73-year-old hunting companion in the face. They say no charges will be filed. Sheriff Ramon Salinas says an investigation had determined Mr Cheney shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington by accident, therefore no legal action was needed. Mr Cheney sprayed Mr Whittington with birdshot on Saturday when he turned to shoot a quail while hunting on a southern Texas ranch. Mr Whittington is expected to be released from hospital next week.

The Vice President has given an exclusive interview to Fox News. The entire interview will be released at 6:00 EST with excerpts coming as soon as 2:00 this afternoon.

NYT: CHENEY FACES GRAND JURY INVESTIGATION IF MAN DIES... In Texas, Carlos Valdez, the district attorney in Kleberg County, said a fatality would immediately spur a new report from the local sheriff and, most likely, a grand jury investigation... MORE...

<p>WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and injured a man during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, his spokeswoman said Sunday.</p> <p>Harry Whittington, 78, was "alert and doing fine" after Cheney sprayed Whittington with shotgun pellets on Saturday at the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas, said property owner Katharine Armstrong.</p>

Liberal pundit Joe Conason worked himself into quite a lather Friday over the rampant rumors concerning Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry. "Is American politics suddenly returning to the bad old days, when Washington journalism became frenzied with sheet sniffing and keyhole peeping?" the Bill Clinton loyalist demanded indignantly on Salon.com. Unfortunately for Conason, Internet commentator Mickey Kaus promptly discovered that, in 1992, Conason had engaged in just such "sheet sniffing and keyhole peeping" - a long, rumor-filled piece about Clinton's campaign opponent, the first President Bush, in Spy magazine. "He Cheats on His Wife," blared the headline over the article,...

In their euphoria over the prospect of Republican delegates spending their cash in destitute New York, the Governor and the Mayor can hardly be blamed for suggesting that the state?s largely Democratic voters will look more kindly on the President in 2004. Certainly they should welcome George W. Bush, and happily house and feed his well-heeled supporters. But let?s hope that Mr. Bush won?t be too disappointed when he loses New York again anyway. If he and his adviser, Karl Rove, chose to locate their party convention here to win the state?s electoral votes, they probably should have picked New...