Ari Fleischer Joins Criticism Of Cheney's Response to Shooting

E&P ^ | Febuary 14 2006 | Joe Strupp

[jmc1969]

Fleischer, who was Bush's first press secretary - from 2001 to 2003 - told E&P that Cheney's accidental shooting of Texas attorney Harry Whittington on Saturday during a hunting trip should not have taken nearly a day to be reported.

"It would have been better if the vice president and/or his staff had come out last Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning and announced it," he said during a phone interview Tuesday. "It could have and should have been handled differently."

But Fleischer also took a jab at the reporting frenzy surrounding the story, saying most Americans are not as focused on it as the White House press corps. "The press is largely right on the issue--but it can be right and go too far," he added.

He also said that if he were still in the White House, he would urge the vice president's office to take some of the heat off Bush's staff: "I think you go to the vice president and say, 'you need to be handling this.'"

Fleischer's comments came just hours after Marlin Fitzwater, who served as press secretary to Bush's father and Ronald Reagan, also criticized Cheney, telling E&P he was "appalled" at the response to the incident.

[A Citizen Reporter]

Don't tell me this is the "verbatim" quote that has been "typed in".

[dirtboy]

http://www.caller2.com/2006/pdf/tpwl_accident_report.pdf

Hunter's Judgement Factors:

Victim was covered by shooter who was swinging on game.

That is what is checked off on the form. It was a safety violation. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is friggin' clueless.

[Howlin]

You always see the good sign of everything. :-)

[roses of sharon]

Yes, the conspriazoids are out claiming cover up because the VP does not want to talk right now, as I said yesterday he must be heartsick, and praying hard for his friend.

The law and local press were notified, and DC is mad that Cheney didn't have an "Oprah" moment yet!

[Howlin]

I don't see any "safety rule" cited anywhere.

[Howlin]

What safety violation? What is the state law defining that as a safety violation?

[A Citizen Reporter]

" It was a safety violation. "

Now I hate to do this, dirtboy, but let's go back. YOUR WORDS were that Cheney was "Careless". That is what you are defending. Just to be clear.

[conservative in nyc]

That is a good question we might all ask ourselves; what is Ari getting out of this?

I'm sure that Editor & Publisher called the former White House press secretaries in order to create controversy. I doubt Ari Fleisher called them. His remarks are really much ado about nothing - in hindsight, even Scott McClellan has essentially said initial reporting could and should have been handled differently. As I've said before and will undoubtedly say again, the White House almost always seems not to be proactive enough in dealing with the White House Press Corps, which is an unfortunate necessary evil in Washington.

Vice President Cheney can stop this nonsense by speaking with the press tomorrow - not necessarily the ravenous pack of egotistical jackals in the White House Press Corps, but in a one-on-one interview with somebody like Brit Hume or Neil Cavuto.

[Mo1]

It was a stupid political blunder NOT to notify the press

The press was notified

The DC Press Corp are in a snit because they weren't told first

[dirtboy]

I don't see any "safety rule" cited anywhere.

Christ, Howlin, it's an official Texas form used to report the results of an investigation what went wrong in a hunting accident. And they checked off what went wrong. How nitpicking are you going to get here?

Are you gonna parse "is" next?

[dirtboy]

YOUR WORDS were that Cheney was "Careless".

To any SANE person, shooting someone accidentally in the manner described is CARELESS.

Have you ever hunted?

[TAdams8591]

If this had happened to most other people, the entire nation wouldn’t know about it.

This was an incident that occurred in Cheney’s private life, and was completely unrelated to his official duties, nor would it effect his job responsibilities in any way. Therefore, the Whitehouse was not under any obligation to follow any kind of official protocol in the reporting of this matter.

As I am composing this response, I have been listening to the Whitehouse press conference regarding this incident. I am again reminded of the INSANITY coming from the press. If I didn’t know better, I might have thought it was THE SNL satire on the conference instead of the real thing.

[SFConservative]

Thanks for acknowledging some reality among a sea of FReepers eating their own.

Howlin, dirtboy et al: let's get back to reality! This kind of self-annihilation is what DU is famous for and we should be above that level of crap.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"I'm sure that Editor & Publisher called the former White House press secretaries in order to create controversy. I doubt Ari Fleisher called them.

Ding, ding, ding.

I'm not defending Ari, however, I'm not about to jump off a cliff about something that left wing E & P has published.

[A Citizen Reporter]

"in the manner described is CARELESS.

Pardon me, in the manner WHO described?

[Howlin]

Are you gonna parse "is" next?

No; I'm going to ask you why you said that they had found that he violated safety rules when it's clearly listed as a contributing factor.

[dirtboy]

If this had happened to most other people, the entire nation wouldn’t know about it.

However, there would still be a sheriff's report and an investigation by the state wildlife commission, even if it was Joe Blow.

Which means it is not a private matter.

And it would typically be reported in the local papers. But since Cheney is a major national political figure, it will naturally get more attention.

Is that so difficult to grasp?

[Howlin]

I read the pdf; it's doesn't list it as a violation; it says "contributing factor."

[Dolphy]

Go back an look at the form. There is a whole section on safety/law violations, with nothing checked.

[TAdams8591]

What happened to us didn't receive nearly the attention it would have received if we had been democrats.