Soapbox

Questions that Probably Won’t Ever be Answered

Like pea soup, the plot just continues to thicken.

So Dick Cheney appeared yesterday on the official propaganda arm of the White House, FOX news, and gave his story about the amazing incident last weekend when he shot a hunting companion in the face and chest. His spokespeople say that he has now “set the record straight”. Nothing more to learn here- let’s move on, America.

Here’s why that may not happen. There are many, many questions that have not been answered, which is why the vice president has no one but himself to blame if this story refuses to die.

~Why did Cheney and staff lie to the President and his staff? When they finally called Washington, Bush chief of staff Andy Card was told that there had been an accident in the VP’s hunting party. No mention was made of the fact that it was the VP himself who did the shooting- as if there was no need for even the president to know this explosive fact! Karl Rove had to call back and get the truth from Katherine Armstrong. Guess we know who is in charge of the administration.

~If he truely takes full responsibility, why did Cheney’s staff put out the official story that it was all Harry Whittington’s fault until it became clear that even Republican hunters weren’t buying it? Almost universally, actual hunters stepped forward to say that blaming the voctim in this case simply didn’t make sense. And how could such a “master hunter” ever make such an elementary mistake as to whirl and shoot behind him without looking?

~Why did the original explaination for the way the story was released say that Ms. Armstrong was used a spokesperson because she was a witness? Her account featured the statement that when she saw the Secret Service rushing in, she thought Cheney had had a heart attack, making it clear that she didn’t actually see a darn thing.

Then it was said she released the story because she is a hunting expert… yet by insisting that it Whittington didn’t follow protocol when it was Cheney who did not, and saying that the victim was “more bruised than bloody”, it really seems she had no idea what she was talking about.

Yesterday Cheney said they delayed releasing the story and gave it to Ms. Armstrong because they wanted to be “completely accurate”: yet they were spectacularly inaccurate, apparently on purpose!

~Speaking of blood, why did the White House and other spokespersons insist for several days that Harry Whittington had only minor injuries? The man has pellets in his heart, lung and liver! While they didn’t know this at first, of course, how is it possible that such life-threatening injuries appeared “no big deal”? He must have been bleeding profusely!

~Speaking of witnesses, where is Pamela Willeford, the person standing next to Cheney when he fired? She has disappeared, long gone by the time the sheriff’s office was finally allowed to speak to Cheney. Why hasn’t she released a statemet, confirming Cheney’s version of events?

~Why did Cheney not make himself available to the authorities for over 14 hours, turning away the deputy that arrived at the ranch that evening? How many people involved in shooting a person, even by accident, are allowed to avoid an interview for 14 hours?

~What’s the deal about the alcohol and why can’t they get the story straight? The White House came out swearing that there was “no alcohol, at all, period.” Then Katherine Armstrong said that there “may have been a few beers” in the cooler at lunch, but Cheney didn’t drink. This statement appeared briefly on MSNBC’s website, and then mysteriously disappeared, having been “scrubbed” from the story. Why? Then Armstrong said that she doesn’t think Cheney drank anything, except after the shooting, when she saw him mix himself a cocktail.

Then Cheney himself said that he did have “a beer” at lunch… and FOX edited that statement, and indeed all reference to alcohol, out of the interview. Only later, under pressure, was it put it back into the transcript only.

Shouldn’t Cheney not be drinking at all? In addition to having been a heavy drinker in his younger days (as his 2 DUI convistions prove) which may have damaged his liver, the VP is on a long list of heart medications, many of which state that they can cause dizziness and alcohol can make this side effect worse. Also, Cheney has gout in his foot, which is painful, and made much worse by drinking alcohol. This has got to be against doctor’s orders.

~Speaking of doctors- why didn’t they send Cheney to the hospital when Whittington went? Even if he had no desire to go to make sure that the guy he shot was OK, wouldn’t the medical team with him want him to go? The man has had 4 heart attacks and numerous other medical problems, and had just shot a guy. He had to be terribly shaken up about it. Why didn’t they have him checked out immediately?
By his own admission, Cheney had a big entourage and their vehicles standing by, and protocol is for a local hospital to be on call to receive the president or VP wherever they go. So it should have been pretty simple to make the trip, yet Cheney states “there was no room in the ambulance” for him to go to the hospital too, so he had dinner and a drink instead.

The president has declared himself “satisfied” whith Cheney’s explainations, but it doesn’t seem that many americas are so easily distracted. Until and unless the White house comes clean about their bizarre behavior and the reasons behind it, the speculation will just grow, rather than diminish. Cheney’s approval rating before the shooting were only 24%. The White House should not be surprised to see them dip into single digits if they do not break with tradition and try a little honesty for a change.