[Cheney Shooting]

Was Cheney Drunk? Let Us Count the Lies.

Poor global warming--it's getting short shrift this week due to various stories, not the least of which is shooting-my-78-year-old-friend-in-the-facegate. So, a roundup of various observations as the story unfolds, nearly every one of which stems from a lie coming from the White House (yet further evidence that it ain't the crime that gets you, it's the cover-up).

It was Whittington's Fault
Expectedly, the White House's first strategy was to shift blame--in this case, trying to claim that the shifty 78-year-old had snuck up behind Cheney and imitated a quail. To anyone who's been quail hunting, this was an obvious lie. As my partner (some call her wife) pointed out last night, that means not everyone. So okay, here it is: for obvious reasons, bird hunters are taught from an early age to be extremely careful about where their hunting partners are. Whenever there's a shooting incident, the suspicion always falls on the shooter. It's like a rear-ending car accident--it's possible for the rear-ended (or shootee) to be at fault, but it's pretty damn rare. But, when something like this happens, hunters don't usually pile on to the shooter because everyone assumes it was a horrible accident--and one they all have good reason to fear.

It Was an Honest Accident
Okay, so maybe it was. But there are two reasons why the events indicate something else. 1) Cheney dodged the cops. If, as would be expected in a hunting accident, the shooting had been inadvertent, the police and the shooter would be relieved to clarify that. So why did Cheney dodge the cops? Larry O'Donnell suggests he was drunk--as does RJ Eskow. Maybe. Maybe he was also grossly negligent. Either way, it doesn't look good. 2) The White House delayed reporting the incident for 18 hours. Again, if it were accidental, why didn't it come out immediately? The White House knew about it almost immediately, but contrary to regular practice, sat on the info.

Cheney Just Winged Him
Not only did the White House minimize the severity of the accident (actually, continue to minimize), but so did the doctors. Yet Whittington was actually hit so hard that the shot from Cheney's small-gauge shotgun got all the way to his heart. That means one thing: Whittington must have been just beyond the end of Cheney's barrel. This adds further mystery to Cheney's claim that Whittington had steathily snuck up on him.

We Were Concerned About Whittington
The White House, in response to questions about why they delayed reporting the shooting, absurdly claim that they were too busy tending to Whittington to report back to the press. Let's just let that explanation lie there a moment. So the White House is unable to care for a "lightly-wounded" man and report the accident to the press at the same time? That's your story? I actually believe the White House is that stupid and incompetent, but as far as excuses go, I would have expected better from Karl Rove.

Who knows where this is headed. The sheer volume of lies, however, makes one wonder if there's not a serious crime at the bottom of all of this.