Cheney Shotgun Accident Changes Status

Listening to Hugh Hewitt's radio show I heard a caller say that there are four types of incidents like the Cheney/Whittington hunting incident.

Not newsworthy - example: A man trips, catches himself and walks on...

Funny - example: A man carrying a cake trips and falls face first into the cake...

Unfortunate - example: A man trips, falls and breaks his arm...

Tragic - example: A man trips, falls and cracks his head. Dies from concussion...

Harry Whittington now has a single buckshot lodged near or in his heart. -

Quote from Dallas Ft. Worth Star Telegram -

Harry Whittington, 78, was moved back into the intensive-care unit at Christus Spohn Hospital in Corpus Christi after doctors detected an irregular heartbeat and decided to run tests. He remained in stable condition with no date set for his release.

"Some of the birdshot appears to have moved and lodged into part of his heart in what we would say is a minor heart attack," hospital administrator Peter Banko said during a televised news conference.

Cheney called Whittington in the hospital and assured the longtime Republican activist that "he stood ready to assist" in any way he could, according to a statement from the vice president's office.

"Mr. Whittington's spirits were good, but obviously his situation deserves the careful monitoring that his doctors are providing," the statement said. "The vice president said that his thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Whittington and his family."


What would have been barely newsworthy had it been Joe Blow off the street became funny when it was the VP who shot his friend. Previous VP blunders and incidents such as Gerald Ford whacking someone with a golf ball and Jimmy Carter flailing at a crazed rabbit with an oar came to mind.

But now what started out as humorous has changed status to unfortunate. I for one pray that it does not turn to tragic. I hope others will join me.

For more on the media handling of this affair check out Howard Kurtz and Hugh Hewitt.

prying1 sez: When will the media get it through their thick skulls that it is not all about them and we now have other sources for news.

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