’)I think the reaction to the Cheney story has shown us how messed up the minds of some of the Bush cult are. I’m one of the most pro-Clinton people you’lll ever see, but if Al Gore had shot someone in the face with a shotgun during the Clinton presidency – it’s news. But according to the Bush cultists, its no big deal that – as Ed Helms says – the vice president of the United States of America shot a 78-year old man in the face. Check out this interaction between right-winger John Podhoretz and the cult (this is a guy who wrote a love note book called “Bush Country” for chrissake).
Regardless of the semantic argument–and you undercut your own by countering Oliver’s overcooked “cult” terminology with your own improvised version of the word “moonbat”–how about the underlying topic being brought up here?
It’s worse than Oliver’s quoting–Cheney shot a 78 year-old man in the face and then blamed him for being in the line of fire, despite the conventional wisdom that it’s a hunter’s responsibility to know where the members of his hunting party are at all times.
It’s downright pathological when one seeks to avoid the blame even for genuine accidents.
What’s wrong with that, you ask?
More: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/13863636.htm
Don’t worry Dugger. When “The Leader” shows up in his flying saucer and takes us, We the True Believers, to the Planet Bliss (known for its large amounts of Bliss), well, we’ll show them, won’t we. Then they’ll be wishing they had learned to “love the leader” like us.
Bush cult? Give it up. Bush is the most un-cult-worthy individual I have supported in my lifetime.
There is a Che cult, a Rand cult, a JFK cult – but no Bush cult. Please.
Do not mistake the failure to buy the left wing moonbatuosity re Bush as cult behaviour.
Dugger
Btw, they are leaving the pellets in Mr.Whittington’s face!
Happens all the time…no big whoop.
There’s no Bush cult. Of course not that’s why idiots on the right think that the guy who got shot in the face should take all the blame for being shot in the face. We can’t have Cheney take the blame for anything, he can’t ever apologize for anything, he can’t ever be fallible. If Cheney is fallible then Bush might be fallible to. But since that can’t be possible it’s Whittington’s fault that Cheney swung 180 degrees round and shot him in the face.
Oh please, the Bush cult will go down in history as one of the most intense ever.
There is a Che cult, a Rand cult, a JFK cult – but no Bush cult. Please.
Denial is the first sign, Dugger. Enjoy the Cult of Bush!
Oh, ‘mudge….I am amused and disgusted all at once.
Anyhow, none of this will matter as Whittington will end up taking one for the team, absolving Cheney of any wrong-doing. The wing-nuts will expect the rest of the country to buy it, and forgive the VP as well.
Too bad Republicans can’t practice this same level of forgiveness in lieu of the fact that Monica didn’t have the power to absolve the Clenis after she – somewhat less dramatically – took a load in the face.
>> Give it up. Bush is the most un-cult-worthy individual I have supported in my lifetime
Guffaw.
Dig yourself Dugger.
You were the one who stated on this blog, a few months back, that you felt that Bush had not made any mistakes in Iraq. At least none that you could recall. I wish we could replay the tape.
You have yourself as firmly implanted in the confines of W’s colon, as any right-winger I’ve ever come across.
You give Bush a daily “Duggeroscopy.”
Every 4th or 5th entry, you try to convince anyone who might be reading that you’re really a cool guy…open minded and moderate. If only people just got to know the real Dugger…right?
I still think you’re a paid RNC hack. And if not, you should be.
JK
There are nuances and degrees of support, I suppose. I for one think it is newsworthy that the VP shot someone. And I think this is fully the responsibility of the VP. But where I disagree with the left here is in thinking that Cheney was under any obligation–moral, legal, or otherwise–to issue a press release sooner than the 18 hours or so that it took. Sure, it’s an interesting story. Important, even. But not in any way that makes it critical to alert the populace right away. This was a dumb accident that was politically and personally embarassing…but had nothing to do with Cheney’s duties as VP.
Curmudgeon…you’ve quoted the common-sense rules of safe firearm handling. But in hunting birds on the wing, there is very little time to aim and fire. Knowledge of you surroundings is critical…which is why it can be so alarming to find someone unexpectedly in your line of fire as you pull the trigger after swinging your barrel around to the target.
But in hunting birds on the wing, there is very little time to aim and fire. Knowledge of you surroundings is critical& which is why it can be so alarming to find someone unexpectedly in your line of fire as you pull the trigger after swinging your barrel around to the target.
Agreed. But that in no way absolves Cheney here, and I think you might agree. I come from a family of hunters, and there are several things about this story that bother me.
1) Cheney knew Whittington went to go retrieve a bird. Any party I’ve hunted with would have stopped hunting at that point and waited for him to return. Was Cheney so eager to blast things out of the sky that he couldn’t hold fire? Was he trying to beat his record of 70 kills in one day?
2) WH says it’s the victim’s fault because he “didn’t announce himself”. That can be a problem. But dogs don’t announce themselves either, which is why you have to know your surroundings and establish safe zones of fire. Furthermore, I find it next to impossible that a 78-year old man, with a bright orange vest could “sneak up” on another man whom is most likely being protected by Secret Service. Where were they? Was the SS in danger of being shot? Lastly, Whittington was *behind* Cheney…that is supposed to be a no-fire zone. Period.
3) MOST IMPORTANT: (and this is a rule my family and hunting associates live by) If you shoot somebody, it’s YOUR fault. Unless that person physically *jumps* in front of your gun as you fire, you, as the shooter are responsible for your bullet. For Cheney to hide behind Armstrong’s skirt and blame Whittington is pathetic. If anyone ever hunts with Cheney again, they’re insane. No one I know would hunt witha guy who shot somebody, then blamed the victim for being shot.
All in all, Cheney’s behavior in this matter is extremely telling in regards to his complete lack of character and integrity. This whole incident serves as a vivid metaphor for his actions throughout his political life. Secrecy, negligence, blamelessness, zealousness, and poor planning.
We only have to look at his history with Halliburton, his involvement in the debacle in Iraq, and his aversion to transparency in government for further examples of this behavior.
I didn’t realize people on the left were calling for Cheney to resign because he shot a 78 yearold man in the face. Plenty are calling for him to resign because of his role in Plame-gate and his looselips attitude towards national secrets.
Mr. curmudgeon – Ha! Good one. And original, I believe.
What appears to be at the center of this fray is Dick Cheney’s political viability.
Liberals see this as a chance to go for Cheney’s jugular and destroy him politically. Conservatives ask (rightly, in my opinion) why a hunting accident, which has no affect on Cheney’s duties as VP, should be cause for him to resign — as many on the Left and in the press have suggested.
It’s simply another in the continuing series of everyday events that are excused as accidents or ignorance by one party, but seen as crimes or incompetence by the opposing party.
And liberals should be ready to explain why they will try to use this accident to end Cheney’s career, while at the same time giving Ted Kennedy a pass on Chappaquiddick.
JK…
Support does not equal cult following.
Curmudgeon…
Agreed 100% regarding the responsibility of the shooter. It’s absolute.
I interpret the description of Whittington’s actions as an explanation of how the accident happened, not as an absolution of Cheney. I don’t think any reasonable person thinks Cheney aimed at the man and pulled the trigger intending to hit him…so there must be some explanation for why he shot him, and this is it.
Is it news? Sure. Is it bigger news than the Former Vice President (and rumored 2008 Candidate) Al Gore going to Saudi Arabia and slamming the Administration for alleged mistreatment? Not hardly.
For Goodness sakes, has Gore even seen Fahrenheit 9/11?!?
“Secrecy, negligence, blamelessness, zealousness, and poor planning.”
Add them up to equal Incompetence.
JK
“I still think you re a paid RNC hack. And if not, you should be. ‘
Don’t just think it. Where have you been? I have long acknowledged my alignment with the RNC. Well, to be specific, with a certain highly-placed Mr. R who pays me $10 a post.
Plus. Plus. I never said this: “that you felt that Bush had not made any mistakes in Iraq.” Feel free to look it up. I may have said I don’t know of any mistakes in Iraq (which would stem from my belief that we will not know the worth of the Iraq action for a few years). But that ain’t the same.
Dugger, High Priest of the Bush Cult. Please join me in chanting:
kalla walla wooly woot, fruit juicy. fruit juicy. Halliburton, halliburton. Halliburton on the river rock brawla brawla soosa. All praise frat boy. All praise frat boy. kalla walla wooly woot. wooly woot.
Scratch,
I interpret the description of Whittington s actions as an explanation of how the accident happened, not as an absolution of Cheney. I don t think any reasonable person thinks Cheney aimed at the man and pulled the trigger intending to hit him& so there must be some explanation for why he shot him, and this is it.
Well, I haven’t heard anyone – other than in jest – suggest that Cheney intentionally shot the guy. The big uproar is over the secrecy, and delay surrounding the whole thing. I think you’ll also agree with me when I say if Cheney’s people just came out on Saturday or Sunday, held a press conference and announce the accident…it would most likely NOT be the story it is today.
Unless of course, he had other reasons for obsfucating the matter. He is known around the Hill as a drinker, he’s also got two DUI’s on his record. So…
The other thing about this story that bothers people on my side of the aisle is that fact that the WH seems eager to “blame the victim” in an attempted “cover-up” of sorts.
This, just now:
(via: CNN)
The official line is that Whittington was 30 yards (90ft.) away from Cheney when he was shot. Bullshit. Official reports also indicated that he’s got over 200 shots in him, apparently some so deep as to engage the heart.
A shell for a 28 gauge has 300 pellets in it. The spread would have been too great at 90ft for Whittington to be hit by 200 pellets (in the head, neck and chest), and I highly doubt any would have gone that deep.
It’s obvious the WH is lying on Cheney’s behalf…which, again, just seems par for the course. Which should upset *all* reasonable people of any political persuasion.
Our honored host wrote:
Well, yes, but not exactly in the manner you think. The Cult of Bush is actually the Cult of BDS (Bush Derangement Syndrome). It’s the group of people who hear the word Bush and start foaming at the mouth.
No one is absolving Mr Cheney for being responsible for the shooting; there is some explanation of how the accident occurred. That explanation should not have been made, because it has just given the BDS infected more froth for the mouth, to say, “See? They’re blaming the victim!” This Administration doesn’t do all that well when it comes to dealing with the media because, for some odd reason, they seem to think that the media are fair.
ie: If they lie so easily about something most wingers would have us believe is so banal, what else are they willing to lie about?
I too missed the part where liberals were trying to boot Cheney from office because of this incident. Maybe you were thinking of the recommendation that Michael Chertoff be booted from office because of that other incident…the whaddyacallit…Katrina response.
This isn’t real ammunition by any means, although it doesn’t do anything to combat the prevailing image of Cheney as self-centered and irresponsible–which also pops up in bigger fish, such as the Plame probe.
frameone : How do you know that he has not apologized ?!
I m one of the most pro-Clinton people you lll ever see, but if Al Gore had shot someone in the face with a shotgun during the Clinton presidency – it s news. But according to the Bush cultists, its no big deal that – as Ed Helms says – the vice president of the United States of America shot a 78-year old man in the face.
Oliver, you did post on this, citing it as newsworthy. Of course, it is a newsworthy story. It is not however, deserving of wall to wall media coverage and this totally freaking absurd accusation that they had some kind of obligation to release the news earlier to a bunch of spoiled brats in the press.
Your take has been the same as the press. Let’s examine what you wrote:
and
Your take had nothing to do with any dispute regarding whether or not this was newsworthy.
As for Cult of Bush, yeah it exists. As does the Cult of Anti-Bush and you are one of the Grand Poobah contenders. Why? Anything that happens with regard to the Bush administration isn’t just a simple happening. There’s always a conspiracy. There’s always something more sinister going on.
Why else would you post those two entries like you did? Hell, I saw this going back to the campaign in 2000. When it was revealed Cheney had a bum ticker, people were saying, “We need to know the details of his health! Who does Bush really want to be VP? If Cheney dies, Bush will then get to slip in the person he couldn’t choose for the campaign!”
It really started in Florida in November 2000 and it hasn’t stopped since. This story is newsworthy. But what you and others are attempting to do is scandalize the story.
I feel like Jerry Seinfeld talking to George Constanza:
It’s the way they treat the public that’s causing the scandal. The Bush administration hates daylight and transparency more than anything else, and if they’ve got nothing to hide, why are they stonewalling?
No, TomY, it is not a scandal. You and your ilk are trying your damndest to make it one, throwing around unfounded accusations, pure speculation, and otherwise making considerably more out of the situation than exists.
Stonewalling? The mere fact that we are discussing it shows that it has been diseminated.
TomY,
“If they d been transparent from the get-go, there d be no room for speculation, would there? ”
I bet you don’t really believe that. I mean people believe Wellstone’s plane was sabotaged, the CIA set up Chappaquidick, Bubba ran a drug ring out of Arkansas. C’mon. No room?
Dugger
If they’d been transparent from the get-go, there’d be no room for speculation, would there? Transparency is their greatest fear, so they waited on releasing the story and sent the sheriffs away.