Posted on 02/14/2006 5:31:24 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at editorandpublisher.com ...
No. This would never have been avoided. The press is trying to ramp this up and they would have regardless.
I am.
They have a clue.
You don't.
This is the root of so much evil in these days. "How they handle it" is what people talk and think about it now. Instead they should think about facts and events and prinicples and stop this nonsense. This is what Cheney does and this is why they really hate him. He is, simply, a real man. He won't grovel and become a dancing bear in the way that they all "advise". So knowing and wise-NOT.
It is all over, it isn't a story and never was. They are already admitting it, grudgingly. It is not anyone's real business and is what real "privacy" is truly about. If they cared about a "private life" they would realize this. But they know nothing about "privacy". The only thing they can think of as "private" is sexual lust. This describes how shallow they are. No substance.
I think that the medical condition of the lawyer is no one's business but his own. I understand that he and his family do not want his medical condition to be reported to the press other than the statement already made. Why should anyone in the public or the press learn of this man's medical story? [Public or press curiosity? too bad, I can tell you a long list of things I would like to know.]
Let the "press" learn the meaning of the word "private" and "HIPPA".
"Cheney and Whittington will be mailed a written warning for the lack of a bird stamp, said Texas Parks and Wildlife Department communications director Lydia Saldana. The stamp was not required until the beginning of quail season in October, Saldana said.
Sheriff Ramon Salinas said he received a call from Secret Service officials 10 minutes after the shooting Saturday. Sheriff's officials interviewed Cheney on Sunday morning at the ranch.
A news release issued by the sheriff's office said employees at the ranch gate were unaware of the shooting when sheriff's officials arrived.
The release also said there was no alcohol or misconduct involved.
"Our investigation reveals that this was a hunting accident," San Miguel said.
"We were always in contact with the Secret Service the whole time," he added. "
http://www.caller.com
Yes, it is typical.
The press feels they are on a mission from God to rid the world of mean-spirited conservatives.
Not very long ago, I said that the Democrats and the press were so far out on a limb about Roberts and Alito that there was really no place left for them to go and when a new nominee for the Supreme Court was put forth, the only place they had left to go was to accuse them of murder.
Little did I know that they'd shift their sights onto Cheney, which, of course, is where they're going with this.
They will say and do anything -- anything -- to destroy anything that is in the way of their return to power.
Many years back on a snow covered road I was carelessly driving too fast for the conditions of the road. Because of the speed that I was driving, I wasn't able to stop in time when the car in front of me stopped. I skidded and hit the car.
I was held responsible for the accident. The responding police officer never wrote me a ticket for any safety violation.
That is how the term "safety violation" is commonly used.
I'm much more interested in why people make statements that aren't backed up in official papers.
There has not been one word said that wouldn't have been said if Cheney had called Gregory before he called the Secret Service.
I never said the “incident” was private. Apparently, you have a problem with reading comprehension.
The Secret Service waiting 10 minutes before they called the local Sheriff.
This must be a cover up!
Sure they could have done that
But the fact they didn't doesn't excuse the childish reaction from many in the DC Press Corp
They were waaaaaaaaay out of line and VERY unprofessional
Calling Scott McClelland a jerk is not professional .. nor very mature
Now we have a story about the story, with a life of its own because it lends itself to endless speculation
The media would have still done that if the news was release right away .. actually, it would probably have been a lot worse because the complete facts and status were not know at the time
And if you think I'm wrong .. try watching Chris Matthews show
Well it's late and I'm off to bed
Sweet Dreams
And yet we have Lawrence O'Donnell saying that the sheriff was TURNED AWAY from the ranch and that Cheney REFUSED to meet with the sheriff that night and that Cheney was probably drunk.
Right, this would have all gone away without a word if only Cheney had alerted the press by 7 p.m.
Yes it could have.
This should have been controlled better by Cheney's staff, the story of Cheney shooting an old cronie in a hunting accident had no legs...all they could do was report on the guy's progress.
We gave them the opening, and they are going to turn this into our Chappaquiddick.
Agreed. The press would be hounding them about some other "irregularity." /sarcasm
That's what it's all about, Charlie Brown.
And I intend to keep a close eye on who is helping them.
They probably used the first ten minutes calling an ambulance and attending to his injuries.
Howlin - you are doing battle on a DU level with positions that are details relative to how the left is going to try to portray this. It's great to fight the battle for details so long as you don't get distracted so much that you lose the battle for truth.
That's all really well said in hindsight. But I really don't believe that this WH press corps that we have, would be any different with this same story whether they knew about it Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon. Surely you don't think that that.
The only thing that would have been different is that we would have been seeing live pictures of the gate to the ranch Saturday night, with breathless reporters asking why they weren't being allowed to go on the ranch to see where it all happened, and why won't the owners come out and talk to us and where is Cheney -- is he drunk?
And, of course, they obligatory shots from the hospital, along with the "people on the street" interviews.
It would have gone on all night and day, just like Katrina, with orgasmic reporters, with salivating talking heads speculating about anything and everything, including the fact that reporters weren't let on the ranch because they were fearful that the TV crews would get pictures of the bloody field.
It would not have changed a thing if they had been alerted right away. They just make it up as they go.
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