CNN TV reports a pellet landed in muscle near the heart of wealthy Austin lawyer Harry Whittington, shot “accidentally” by Dick Cheney while quail hunting Saturday. CNN says that Mr. Whittington has suffered a heart attack (see MSNBC story). An anonymous source tells me that Whittington is back in ICU (Caller Times).
My anonymous source, an expert on Texas law, tells me this:
My [hunting] friend further told me that if Whittington got hit with quite a few pellets, he was most likely closer than 30 yards away. […]
If Whittington dies, Cheney is looking at negligent homicide (state jail felony, causing death by criminal negligence), or what is called here manslaughter (second degree felony, causing death by recklessness).
When I say “looking at,” there are of course caveats to that. More later, depending on events.
A cardiologist from Emory University just told CNN TV that, unless the pellet is LODGED FIRMLY in a heart muscle, it can move, causing more life-threatening complications.
Let’s review the OBVIOUS: If his wounds had ALL been superficial, a man as rich as he could go home, have a doctor/nurse visit him, and go to the doctor in Austin. BIG SIGNS this was bad:
- He was in INTENSIVE CARE on arrival Saturday. Nobody goes to Intensive Care unless there is some kind of life-threatening injury.
- He is still in the hospital after being shot on Saturday — that’s four days, with NO discharge plans being announced. Nobody stays in hospitals that long unless there are grave concerns or more tests to be taken.
- We don’t know the man’s health history, do we? He could have various ongoing conditions that gave doctors a great deal to worry about.
- He is almost 80 years old, CNN’s medical expert, Sanje Guptke, just said on CNN. He has an old body, no matter how previously healthy he’s been.
I just checked Google News and found — most astonishingly and callously — this top FORBES story (via AP) headlined there:
Update 22: White House Finds Humor in Hunting Mishap
Finding humor in this situation reminds me of Bush’s press dinner joking about hunting around his dais and the White House for Iraq’s non-existent WMDs. It was as callous and sociopathic: He did not acknowledge the immense suffering and death he has caused to hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Afghani people, or to the soldiers and their families. The AP story continues:
The White House has decided that the best way to deal with Vice President Dick Cheney’s shooting accident is to joke about it.
President Bush’s spokesman quipped Tuesday that the burnt orange school colors of the University of Texas championship football team that was visiting the White House shouldn’t be confused for hunter’s safety wear.
“The orange that they’re wearing is not because they’re concerned that the vice president may be there,” joked White House press secretary Scott McClellan, following the lead of late-night television comedians. “That’s why I’m wearing it.”
The president’s brother, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, took a similar jab after slapping an orange sticker on his chest from the Florida Farm Bureau that read, “No Farmers, No Food.”
“I’m a little concerned that Dick Cheney is going to walk in,” the governor cracked during an appearance in Tampa Monday.
Cheney, an experienced hunter, has not been joking or saying anything publicly at all about the accident Saturday, when he accidentally sprayed a hunting partner with shotgun pellets when aiming for a quail.
…Read all
I am outraged. This Whittington may be another rich fat-cat Texas Republican, but his life is in danger because of Dick Cheney’s utter disregard for basic hunting safety precautions. Dick Cheney had better pray this man lives.
Update [2006-2-14 14:52:55 by susanhu]: Along with more news on Whittington’s condition, Brad Blog points out that ‘it was not notable enough for McClellan to mention that in today’s White House Press Briefing!”
P.S. Dick Cheney has shot me in the heart too. It hurts … the pain never goes away, for some reason.