Why do you want to slander all cartoon characters by comparing us to... Reporters!
Posted on 02/14/2006 8:05:47 PM PST by Utah Girl
Never has an accidental shooting occasioned so much glee. Whatever mistakes Vice President Dick Cheney might have made while hunting on the Armstrong Ranch in Texas this weekend, or in deciding how to make the mishap public, have been eclipsed by the disgusting wallowing in the accident of all his critics and the unsurpassable self-regard of national reporters outraged by a delay of at least 14 hours in getting alerted to the story. They worked themselves into a first-class tizzy at Monday's White House press briefing, proving that no matter what the story is, reporters think it’s all about them. It is understandable that Cheney would not consider notifying the media his first priority following an accident during a quail-hunting trip with friends, and the meaning that is being read into the incident — about Cheney's character, the administration's competence, Bush's foreign policy, and much else — is absurd.
That said, there are customary political and media rules about how to handle such things. Those rules require rapid disclosure. It was a mistake not to alert the national press of the incident immediately. And if an accident seems to be much less important than a matter of policy, that doesn't make it less important politically — oftentimes, it is the non-substantive issues that can be most powerful politically. With Harry Whittington having suffered a minor heart attack Tuesday morning, and still in intensive care 72 hours after the shooting, the perception that the vice president is downplaying the seriousness of the incident and not playing straight is going to be stronger than ever. There is a risk that the administration will sustain significant political damage from the controversy.
Cheney himself should make a public appearance on the matter, and the sooner the better. He should get himself with a respected national anchor — perhaps Brit Hume of Fox News — as soon as this evening to express his regret and explain in his own words what happened. He should stop relying on press aides who were not present at the accident to tell his side of the story. Not talking only feeds speculation, and aids the cause of those who want to lampoon and smear him. Let's hear from the vice president.
Well, Cheney is the Vice PResident of the United States. But still, this outrage by the press is just a temper tantrum. It will be interesting to see what happens this week. I'm really praying that Whittington is released from the hospital and remains in good health for the next few years.
I'm with you. Cheney should stick to his guns (oops! bad metaphor) and continue to diss the press, refusing to give any interviews at all. That's the way to give them all apoplexy.
The MSM have been acting like lowlifes over this. Cheney should treat them like dirt--which they are.
First paragraph is good. Second and third are stupid.
Why should Cheney dignify this ridiculous spasm of stupidity with an interview? And why should he apologize to the press or the public?
To his friend, sure, if it's called for. But the press can stuff it.
Why do you want to slander all cartoon characters by comparing us to... Reporters!
Cheney is right to totally bypass them and continue to treat them with the disdain and lack of respect they desrve.
They are hoping for the man to die.
An MSN piece is referring to Whittington as the Vice President's "victim." Those libs in the MSM LOVE their semantic games. I thought it was so obvious as to be laughable.
I'm waiting for Ted Kennedy to call for Cheney's resignation due to Cheney's delay in reporting the accident to the press.</p>
They are enraged because a local reporter scooped them. The national media prides itslf on being the fourth branch of government. To be scooped by a reporter of a mid-size paper in Texas is intolerable.
So National Review, which is a part of the national press though they delude themselves into thinking otherwise, is ticked off a small town paper scooped them. Just like the Gregory's of the world. And they don't have the guts to admit it.
I've said it before. I've had it with the stuck up pretensious beltway clique of superior" conservatives in the D.C. circuit who seem to think they have the right to dictate the actions of this administration whenever they damn well feel like it.
My own little editorial to National Review and JPod in particular. Shut Up.
Get a life out of washington. Meet real folks that don't hyperventilate because the MSM is in a tizzy. Folks that care more about the life of the man, and emphasize with the VEEP, then they care about cold blooded elites sipping wine with noses in the air contemplating the percieved "faux pas" committed by the PR staff of the Vice's office.
Good Grief. The man is in the hospital and NR thinks its more important Cheney play patty cake with the press? Just who's priorities are out of whack here, K-LO?
Thank God we don't have useless idiots that don't have the sense to evacuate before a hurricane strikes on a roof again, or NR would be declaring Armagedon for the admin...Again.
Only a couple people over there making any sense. Mark Levin, of course. Mark Steyn, little surprise there either. And one other, name escaping me.
Oh, and to answer the question for a certain someone at NR, if Al Gore shot someone on a hunting trip during his turn as VICE and didn't report it for 18 hours...I would have thought nothing of it. Well, other than whether there was an election coming up that he had to impress gun owners. But then even us non hunters out here in the real world have seen movies and have some idea that accidents happen and people injured should receive first priority. Not the press core. Certainly my life isn't going to fall apart at not knowing there was a hunting accident within seconds of its occurence. I'm more concerned with earning my paycheck
I take some amusement in seeing folks reading this piece and deducing it's MSM sponsered.
I hope the National Review Folks get a kick out of that as well....they've earned the moniker.
Agreed. I had said after Prince 'Arry and his silly escapade,with a badly formed swastika on a fake uniform- it has a shelf life.
His father was said to be "incandescent with rage", at the lad. All old hat now. I Pray that Mr Whittington regains complete facilities. I will now repeat what I said previously. This time in Two Weeks will this be "old hat"? I will monitor FR. exactly at this time two weeks later. I hope I am right.
Plus, there is a little act called HIPAA that protects the privacy of medical records for all Americans. Dick Cheney was not authorized to release any information about the condition of Whittington. Dick Gregory is just in a snit because he wasn't notified personally. He thinks he is hot snot.
I think the RATS are hoping that the guy dies.
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