Hey, the guy Cheney "peppered" is in intensive care.

[NNadir]

Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, was in stable condition in the intensive care unit of a Corpus Christi hospital Sunday.

"He is stable and doing well. It was almost like he was spending time with me in my living room," said hospital administrator Peter Banko, who visited Whittington.

Banko said Whittington was in the intensive care unit because his condition warranted it, but he didn't elaborate...

...McBride said the vice president's office did not tell reporters about the accident Saturday because they were deferring to Armstrong to handle the announcement of what happened on her property.

Armstrong, owner of the Armstrong Ranch where the accident occurred, said Whittington was bleeding after he was shot and Cheney was very apologetic.

"It broke the skin," she said of the shotgun pellets. "It knocked him silly. But he was fine. He was talking. His eyes were open. It didn't get in his eyes or anything like that.

"Fortunately, the vice president has got a lot of medical people around him and so they were right there and probably more cautious than we would have been," she said. "The vice president has got an ambulance on call, so the ambulance came."

Why does this story sound like every other story that comes out of the Bush administration?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060213/ap_on_go_pr_wh/cheney_hunting_accident

The Aspen leaves are turning.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

1. I hope he can afford a decent lawyer.... n/t

[skids]

18. Umm... he IS a lawyer. FWIW n/t

[HysteryDiagnosis]

23. Zactly. I hope he can afford one..... :)

[gristy]

2. It will be very interesting to see when they release him from the hospital

and if the press (and we) get a look at him when he is released. They said he would be released tomorrow on the news tonight. If they are lying we will know soon enough.

[NNadir]

7. If he says anything, they'll identify him as a terrorist.

[Rose Siding]

8. Please let there be photos

[ShortnFiery]

25. Newsflash: No one that I have ever known or heard about ...

has gone from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) directly to outpatient. If you don't believe me, just go to your local hospital and check out the ICU there? All patients in ICU have at least 5-10 hookups on their body and are constantly being monitored. Yes, they're so FINE that ONE NURSE is assigned to them full time.

FINE, and discharged tomorrow, - bullshit!

When one is in the ICU, albeit stable, they could easily take a turn for the worse and DIE. That's why they call it the Intensive Care Unit. How stupid to these Administration Bozos think the American People are? Why are we not hearing from the doctors?

Lurking Freepers, your Executive Branch Neo-cons do NOT respect you. Please wake the Fuck up and get with the true patriotic program? To the ruling elite, both non-millionaire Democrats and Republicans are considered the "chattering classes". They laugh at you being EASILY manipulated in order to vote on mere wedge issues while all our jobs are being outsourced to China and India.

What does it take to help the average working Republican to realize that that they are being played as fools by their bloated corporate masters? As the working class freeper begins to live from hand to mouth, This Administration is going to laugh AT them. They're pure evil - Neo-Conservatives and our nasty neo-liberal war mongers.

If ANY example is glaringly apparent of this corrupt Executive Branch, it should be all the lies and mis-information regarding this "hunting Accident."

Don't let fear and pride blind us to the truth. :hi:

[SammyBlue]

3. Criminal charges and LAW SUITS!!!! LAW SUITS and crimnal charges

but that won't happen. He's Dick(head) Cheney after all.

[buddysmellgood]

4. He's in intensive care because he has a butload of money.

[Scout1071]

10. Sounds like Cheney is surrounded by a roving ICU. nt

[buddysmellgood]

14. Lots of extra baboon hearts. Big truck full of monkeys.

[ShortnFiery]

24. Plus his condition must be covered-up - Fine in ICU - lest ...

this issue bleed into the Sunday Talk Shows. My goodness, if that occured our beloved Republican Noise Machine may not successfully air this week's Talking Points. :puke:

[FearofFutility]

30. I think you're right. n/t

[janx]

5. Because...

it's coming from TEXAS!

[Rose Siding]

6. ICU's are full of people who've just been knocked silly

:eyes:

Two Americas.

Doctors have to report gun shot wounds. It's illegal to leave the scene of an accident. Is there no law that says police should be called when there's a shooting accident?

[LiberalEsto]

9. Because it's spin, spin, spin & lies

That's the answer to your question:

"Why does this story sound like every other story that comes out of the Bush administration?"

[Deb]

11. I wonder if he had surgery

to remove pellets or plastic surgery to repair the damage on his face. :shrug: That must be some living room the administrator has.

[daleo]

12. Just like sitting around playing cards, having a beer, and being shot

"He is stable and doing well. It was almost like he was spending time with me in my living room," said hospital administrator Peter Banko, who visited Whittington.

Just an average day socializing with Dick Cheney.

[NNadir]

16. I always like to suck down an IV with Dick.

If I go into a coma and get a feeding tube, Dick will be sure to get Bill Frist to look at my videotape.

[OzarkDem]

13. They're all repeating the same talking points

KKKarl "debriefed" them well.

[upi402]

15. Hunting with lawters, just like the mob...

Fuggeddahbowdiiiit

[Maru Kitteh]

17. Article I saw blames the victim for getting shot. Typical.

Armstrong said Cheney's medical team attended to Whittington before he was taken to the hospital.

She described Cheney as "an excellent, conscientious shot."

"The person who is not doing the shooting at the point is just as responsible and, should be, as the person actually shooting," Armstrong said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060213/ts_nm/cheney_accident_dc

[jwirr]

19. Isn't he the * neighbor who donated land for the demonstrators?

[oregonjen]

21. No, that guy's name is Fred Mattlage

[JanMichael]

20. They shoot horses don't they?

Picture a needle being inserted into an eye!!!!!

[Arkansas Granny]

22. I don't understand this statement that was in this news article:

"McBride said the vice president's office did not tell reporters about the accident Saturday because they were deferring to Armstrong to handle the announcement of what happened on her property."

I'm not familiar with Texas law, but is this standard procedure? Would the property owner have any say so as to when this type of news is reported? I would have thought that the hospital would have to file a police report on any shooting victim that they treated and it would have been picked up by reporters then.

Something just doesn't sound right about this whole thing.

[Ice4Clark]

27. This is what I had found. Wonder just when the hospital or

the SS med team reported this? Guess the police scanners weren't working that day for the media?


Tex. Health & Safety Code § 161.041. Mandatory Reporting of Gunshot Wounds

A physician who attends or treats, or who is requested to attend or treat, a bullet or gunshot wound, or the administrator, superintendent, or other person in charge of a hospital, sanitorium, or other institution in which a bullet or gunshot wound is attended or treated or in which the attention or treatment is requested, shall report the case at once to the law enforcement authority of the municipality or county in which the physician practices or in which the institution is located.

[Arkansas Granny]

29. I was sure that there must be something in the law about

reporting shootings, even accidental ones on private property. It just seemed strange to me that they would leave it up to the property owner to release the information.

I realize that hunting accidents do happen, but it's an old joke around my neck of the woods that if you have an enemy, you invite him on a hunting trip.

[montana500]

26. pepper knocks you silly!

lol

[KharmaTrain]

28. This Is A 78 Year Old Man

I don't care if the dude's bionic, his system isn't the same as a 20 or even a 50 year old. Injuries take longer to heal, infections happen with more regularity and the body isn't as quick to recouperate after a shock...especially a major shock.

Crashcart's enablers are gonna try to downplay this for all they can. First, so he can find a way to go hiding again...he's been too high profile lately. Second, to downplay what really happened in that incident and the length and manner of which it was reported and Third, to play their usually "blame the messenger" game. We'll start hearing how we're picking on poor Crashcart...how it was Whittington's fault for being in the wrong place at the wrong time (ooops, shit happens) and to try to turn any attack into a diatribe about how Clinton killed Vince Foster or Teddy and Chappaquiddick (we know this will be all over the hate radio airwaves today).

A report I had heard said they were going to release Whittington either later today or tomorrow...but somehow I doubt that. Even if they report "no vital organs" were injured (how lame is that???), just the shock to a 78 year old system from the trauma and the slow recovery time has to be of some concern here.