Posted on 02/15/2006 2:42:20 PM PST by CyberAnt
Welcome to The Loft
The hissy fit thrown by the national media appears to be working. Just like spoiled children, the media’s temper tantrum over the lack of information flowing directly to them regarding Vice President Cheney’s hunting accident has now started to yield results. Democrats, media members, and even some Republicans are beginning to criticize the vice president.
Get real!
Iran is enriching uranium, and the only concern in Washington appears to be the hurt feelings of left-wing journalists.
As is being reported by CNSNews.com, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is now “calling on Vice President Dick Cheney to hold a press conference to answer questions about his accidental shooting of a fellow hunter in Texas over the weekend.”
In addition, a story in the Washington Post cites Cheney’s “lack of response” as a “concern” for the GOP.
Lack of response? As noted in yesterday’s posting, there was a response to the shooting, but it went through local Texas media rather than the filter of the White House press corps. And that’s what all the fuss is about.
The Post’s story starts off on the wrong foot by noting, “Vice President Cheney’s slow and unapologetic public response to the accidental shooting of a 78-year-old Texas lawyer is turning the quail-hunting mishap into a political liability for the Bush administration.”
Unapologetic response? It seems to me that the only one who would need an apology is Mr. Whittington. After all, he’s the one who got shot. I’m sure that following the accident, the vice president did apologize to his friend and saw to it that proper medical care was administered.
If the media now think that the vice president owes them an apology as well, they are barking up the wrong tree.
It’s typical for the Democrats and left-wing media to try to overhype a situation involving Republicans. Just look at what happened to Sen. Trent Lott as compared to when Democrats make charged statements.
In this case, in addition to Harry Reid calling for a press conference, liberal reporters and pundits are milking this story strictly for political points.
That’s the only logical explanation, since this is a NON story.
Questions continued on the Cheney hunting topic in Tuesday’s White House press briefing. The very first question asked was whether the Vice President should “personally” address the American people and explain why “it took so long to disclose it publicly.”
Another followed which attempted to pit the president against the vice president as to how information is disclosed to the public. Question after question was thrown at White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan… not leading with Iran or some other major issue, but rather, “We’re the White House press corps, so why weren’t we told first???”
The media are doing their best to make an accident on a private hunting trip into a national media controversy. As noted in the Washington Post: "No evidence has emerged to suggest that the shooting was anything more than a hunting accident, but the spectacle of the vice president wounding a prominent Republican at an exclusive Texas ranch has become the punch line for politicians and comedians alike, and has penetrated the popular culture through late-night television.
It has become a “spectacle” because they are making it so.
Let’s stop the pouting and temper tantrums and get back to covering REAL news stories. I’m sure the American public would appreciate it.
Imagine the hysteria if the wounded fellow was a reporter?
####Imagine the hysteria if the wounded fellow was a reporter?####
I wonder if jackasses are currently in season in Texas?
He owes them one finger, over the shoulder as he looks back at the whining idiots.
The MSM, especially the White House press corp is constantly on the attack towards this administration. They try to set them up, they make wild accusations, derogatory comments and their hatred is visceral.
Trust me, they'd be just as ballistic over this event if Cheney had told them immediately. There is nothing Cheney could say to satisfy them short of offering to resign.
Screw them!
Damned right!! No, he doesn't owe the media an apology. They owe him an apology.
None of these idiots in the media understand this (and even if they did, they'd never admit it), but when those birds get up, you quickly swing that shotgun around to track the birds and in the split second that you have the birds in your sights, you fire the weapon. It is always best not to walk into this situation.
While driving this afternoon, I tuned in CBS radio to hear what they had to say about this. They were miffed that Cheney had taken this to Fox News ("which was in the pocket of Republicans and was right wing").
These people are really full of themselves!
I agree .. this fiasco is more about the old media not getting the story first .. that's it. Like they are entitled to get the info first .. ridiculous.
I agree with you.
The Vice President has graciously accepted full responsibility - not once mentioning the fact that the lawyer was at fault for walking up behind the VP and not telling him he was there.
Cheney has more class than any media person I know - with the exception of a very small group.
Yes they are .. and I loved it when McClellan told Gregory, "It's not about you"! It was so great!!
The press is remarkably unconcerned with the wishes of the injured man and his family. A private citizen who went on a private recreational expedition on private property with a friend who just happens to currently be VP of the US, did not necessarily sign up to have his family's peace disturbed by hordes of notoriously insensitive media goons descending onto the sidewalk in front of their home and dialing their home phone number incessantly. This is what obviously would have happened immediately after any public announcement of the mishap, and so the considerate Mr. Cheney made no such announcement (though he did notify his boss promptly after the injured man had been gotten to a hospital and received initial examination and treatment). The ranch owner probably consulted with Mr. Whittington and his family, before making her call to the local paper, which she probably made only after the family had assured her that they had braced themselves (or gone into hiding) and were ready for the inevitable onslaught.
Quailgate!
CBS calling Fox News "in the pocket of Republicans" is really funny considering the way Dan Rather tried to throw the last presidential election to Kerry.
The Vice President doesn't owe an apology.
But his office did not handle this well - just think if VP Gore had shot somebody - I would certainly have expected his office to promptly explain.
See my tag line
Yep, we know there is no bias over at CBS. /sarcasm
If I were Cheney and it had been a reporter tha I had shot, it would not have been an accident!
True, but then, Bush did not need to apologize and "TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY" for Katrina . . .
but that is exactly what Bush did--apologize for something that he had no responsibility for, just to appease the RATs/the media.
The White House and the Cheney staff should tell the press to go to hell, but the problem with Republicans is they cave in to the media.
Being that the press are all leftist radicals, Cheney did the right thing and ignored them. He should stick to his original impulse and make no apologies to the press. I only wish Bush would ignore the press the way Cheney does.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.