Will the whole Deadeye Dick/Elmer Fudd thing get serious legs?

[Stinky The Clown]

I'd like to hear your views on the longer implications of what, so far, has been treated almost comically.

So let's look at this from a more serious perspective for just a bit.

Cheney was hunting .... on the public dime ($250,000 (?) to fly his fat ass down there and attend to his every need, including the cost of the plane, the security detail, the medical detail, and all the other things that make up their traveling dog and pony shows).

Cheney shot a guy while hunting but avoided the police questioning anyone else involved in this all-too-common event would have to suffer.

The guy was obviously hurt far more than 'peppered with bird shot' would imply. The smell of a cover-up is strong.

The White House was not informed by Deadeye himself, but by some operatives. This begs the re-asking of the 'who is in charge' question.

The victim was initially blamed, but that won't play well now that he's had a heart attack and is back in intensive care.

The White House's medical team is 'consulting' with the victim's doctors. Why, you might ask, if not to keep a lid on things.

The ranch where this happened is a long-time play land of the Right Wing Rich and Famous. CNN even showed a picture of a young Carl Rove (he was always fat, pasty, and soft looking) with his bagged game on that same ranch.

There's no real way to know what will turn the tide of public opinion. This administration has been dying a death of a thousand cuts, no matter that we seem not yet to have reached the tipping point.

But this event seems like it can be understood by the Reich Wing's 'base' in a way that not much else, so far, has been. And it has it all. Hunting. Avoidance of what mere mortals have to endure. Tales of privilege and power. And most of all .... simple cover-up.

Could this event be more serious than many of us may have seen at first glance?

[mac56]

1. errrr...some of us thought it was serious from the beginning.

Just sayin'

[Stinky The Clown]

7. You're quite right ......

.... some of us did. I am among that number.

[tatertop]

2. The media will not allow that

same as it ever was

[SteppingRazor]

8. The media WILL make hay of this...

if they think it'll be good for ratings. And if it can be proved that Cheney was negligent, that'd make for great ratings -- people would watch. So, I don't know that it's true that the media will cover this up. Far moreso than any right- or leftwing bias, the media has a bias toward sensationalism. And I can't think of many things more sensational than a drunken Vice President of the United States ventilating his hunting partner -- if it can be proven, of course, which, given the lengthy delay in reporting, isn't likely to happen.

[SteppingRazor]

3. I think the delay could be indicative of covering up...

things that would lead to charges of negligence. Mainly, I wonder what Cheney would have blown on a brethalyzer test administered soon after the incident.

But the occasional call I've seen around here that this was something more than an accident -- that Cheney wanted to "whack" Whittington or something -- is so breathtakingly ridiculous I don't even know where to begin.

[livetohike]

4. Good synopsis but I think the tipping point will be to bring the

women who were in the hunting party into this. Seems that's all the RW understands - sex scandals.

When did they all get to the ranch? Was it Friday? What were they doing all day Saturday until the 5:30 p.m. foray out into the brush?

How can you calmly go back and eat dinner after a so called friend was taken to the ER?

[NanceGreggs]

5. Yes, I think this is going to be HUGH111!

For all of the reasons you've listed, as well as THE FACT THAT CHENEY AND WHITTINGTON were on a weekend getaway with TWO WOMEN who were not their wives.

Even a muzzled media CAN'T RESIST a story like that; the sex-scandal-greedy public will DEMAND non-stop coverage.

And once THAT particular cat is out of the bag and in the public's lap, there will be no stopping this story, with all of its attendant 'details' (as you've laid out) being exposed in the process ...

[mdmc]

6. never

a drunk veep shoots (God forbid, kills) someone...on accident.

These guys cooked up a war - thousands of people have died.
Cheney committed treason by outing Plame.
If any story has legs, it should be one of these.


The victim (and his family) support Cheney. This was a mistake and not impeachable.

[SteppingRazor]

9. If it can be shown that the veep was drunk...

then this accident is a felony.

[mdmc]

14. He was drunk

I heard it on Letterman!

This is not going to be a "criminal court" thing - Cheney will be tried in the court of public opinion.
If "got legs" means criminal accountability, then no. If "got legs" means public black eye, then yes

He should resign.

Peace and low stress...

[Wickerman]

10. His other crimes are impeachable. This one merits his resignation n/t

[acmejack]

11. We can all do our part to make it so!

Let's do a little bit of Grassroots "agitation" what do you think? I had a great conversation with a RW bus driver on the way to the VA, we went from the "Liberal Democrats" screwing up the Country& him damning Clinton and Gore for the all the usual Faux talking points with me crushing every single one of his arguments (thanks everybody for the great material) to him weakly conceding "thats what is so great about America, we all can have our opinions" and the passengers applauding my populist rhetoric and the driver agreeing with me.

[lldu]

12. The VP is so above and out of touch

Maybe he really did decide to kill this guy and because he is so "beyond" and out of touch that he REALLY, REALLY thought it would not be a problem.

Maybe he just didn't think about it like a REAL person would.

This definitely plays into his god complex.

[livetohike]

13. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[lldu]

15. Thanks

Thanks