No attempt to delay reporting Cheney case

Seeking to ward off criticism over not immediately disclosing the shooting incident involving us Vice-President Dick Cheney, the White Hous...

Seeking to ward off criticism over not immediately disclosing the shooting incident involving us Vice-President Dick Cheney, the White House has insisted the delay in informing the public was to ensure that all facts were in place and that the victim received adequate medical attention.

In a briefing session on Sunday, the spokesman Scott McClellan had to fend off questions on not only on the specifics of the hunting accident and the 8220;friendly fire8221; but also on the manner in which the White House and the Vice-President8217;s staff handled information parts of the media and the public8217;s right to know what had happened.

McClellan insisted that the time gap between the incident and its confirmation by the White House was due to a focus on getting Whittington the medical care he needed and the White House needed 8220;to get the facts together.8221;

Cheney8217;s hunting companion Harry Whittington took pellets in his cheek, neck and chest from Cheney8217;s shotgun in Texas and was admitted to a local medical facility intensive care. The incident took place on Saturday but was not reported by the Vice-President8217;s office until Sunday afternoon and not before a local newspaper ran the story.

It was revealed that Cheney did not have a legal permit to hunt quail, the White House said. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department informed Cheney that he lacked a stamp for hunting 8220;upland game birds8221; in the state, the Vice-President8217;s office said.

Texas authorities said they would issue a warning citation to Cheney but impose no penalty or fine for failing to have the 7 stamp.

Cheney8217;s staff members had asked state authorities for all necessary permits beforehand and were never informed about the need for a 7 stamp for quail hunting, his office said in its statement.

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While awaiting a warning from game wardens, 8220;the Vice-President has sent a seven dollar check to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which is the cost of an upland game bird stamp,8221; it said.

Did you hear the one about Cheney?

Washington: Foreign media zeroed in on the shooting as a metaphor for Cheney8217;s political outlook. The Herald in Scotland declared, 8216;8216;Cheney Bags a Lawyer,8217;8217; while the Sydney Morning Herald8217;s headlined its story 8216;8216;Cheney Hunts Quail and the World Ducks.8217;8217;

8216;8216;Dick Cheney Finally Takes a Stand Against Trial Lawyers,8217;8217; declared the political blog Wonkette. Added the public-health blog Effect Measure: 8216;8216;After the incident, the Vice quit for the day, as he8217;d bagged his limit of rich Republican contributors.8217;8217;

But it was the late-night comics who couldn8217;t get enough. Here8217;s a sampling: 8216;8216;Good news, ladies and gentlemen, we have finally located weapons of mass destruction. 8230; It8217;s Dick Cheney,8217;8217; David Letterman cracked on CBS8217;s Late Show on Monday, adding: 8216;8216;We can8217;t get bin Laden, but we nailed a 78-year-old attorney.8217;8217; 8216;8216;The guy who got gunned down8212;he is a Republican lawyer and a big Republican donor, and, fortunately, the buckshot was deflected by wads of laundered cash, so he8217;s fine,8217;8217; he said.

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On Comedy Central, The Daily Show8217;s Jon Stewart offered a little historical perspective, noting that Whittington was the first person to be shot by a Vice-President since Alexander Hamilton. 8217;8217;Hamilton, of course, shot in a duel with Aaron Burr over issues of honor, integrity and political manoeuvring,8216;8216; Stewart said. 8217;8217;Whittington? Mistaken for a bird.8216;8216; 8212;LATWP