<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Secret Service agents say Cheney was drunk when he shot lawyerBy DOUG THOMPSONFeb 22, 2006, 07:35 Email this article Printer friendly pageSecret Service agents guarding Vice President <Censored> Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago say Cheney was "clearly inebriated" at the time of the shooting.Agents observed several members of the hunting party, including the Vice President, consuming alcohol before and during the hunting expedition, the report notes, and Cheney exhibited "visible signs" of impairment, including slurred speech and erratic actions.According to those who have talked with the agents and others present at the outing, Cheney was drunk when he gunned down his friend and the day-and-a-half delay in allowing Texas law enforcement officials on the ranch where the shooting occurred gave all members of the hunting party time to sober up.We talked with a number of administration officials who are privy to inside information on the Vice President's shooting "accident" and all admit Secret Service agents and others say they saw Cheney consume far more than the "one beer' he claimed he drank at lunch earlier that day."This was a South Texas hunt," says one White House aide. "Of course there was drinking. There's always drinking. Lots of it."One agent at the scene has been placed on administrative leave and another requested reassignment this week. A memo reportedly written by one agent has been destroyed, sources said Wednesday afternoon.Cheney has a long history of alcohol abuse, including two convictions of driving under the influence when he was younger. Doctors tell me that someone like Cheney, who is taking blood thinners because of his history of heart attacks, could get legally drunk now after consuming just one drink.If Cheney was legally drunk at the time of the shooting, he could be guilty of a felony under Texas law and the shooting, ruled an accident by a compliant Kenedy County Sheriff, would be a prosecutable offense.But we will never know for sure because the owners of the Armstrong Ranch, where the shooting occurred, barred the sheriff's department from the property on the day of the shooting and Kenedy County Sheriff Ramon Salinas III agreed to wait until the next day to send deputies in to talk to those involved.Sheriff's Captain Charles Kirk says he went to the Armstrong Ranch immediately after the shooting was reported on Saturday, February 11 but both he and a game warden were not allowed on the 50,000-acre property. He called Salinas who told him to forget about it and return to the station."I told him don't worry about it. I'll make a call," Salinas said. The sheriff claims he called another deputy who moonlights at the Armstrong ranch, said he was told it was "just an accident" and made the decision to wait until Sunday to investigate."We've known these people for years. They are honest and wouldn't call us, telling us a lie," Salinas said.Like all elected officials in Kenedy County, Salinas owes his job to the backing and financial support of Katherine Armstrong, owner of the ranch and the county's largest employer."The Armstrongs rule Kenedy County like a fiefdom," says a former employee.Secret Service officials also took possession of all tests on Whittington's blood at the hospitals where he was treated for his wounds. When asked if a blood alcohol test had been performed on Whittington, the doctors who treated him at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial in Corpus Christi or the hospital in Kingsville refused to answer. One admits privately he was ordered by the Secret Service to "never discuss the case with the press."It's a sure bet that is a private doctor who treated the victim of Cheney's reckless and drunken actions can't talk to the public then any evidence that shows the Vice President drunk as a skunk will never see the light of day.(Updated at 7:21 p.m. EST to reflect new information)</div> Wow.
Other witnesses say <Censored> Cheney wasn't drunk. Honestly? I really don't care. I'm kind of upset with how big of a story this has become. Hunting accidents happen all over the country every year and they don't even make the back page of the newspaper. Accidents happen.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Other witnesses say <Censored> Cheney wasn't drunk. Honestly? I really don't care. I'm kind of upset with how big of a story this has become. Hunting accidents happen all over the country every year and they don't even make the back page of the newspaper. Accidents happen.</div> Um, the Vice President shot a man under wierd circumstances and waited a day to release it to the public, thats news. He is probably the most powerfull man on the planet, sorry, it's not your everyday accident when it involves the VP.
I don't care if it took 3 weeks to release the story, the fact that more people are concerned about what will happen to <Censored> Cheney than the man's health shows how sad today's media is.
This is retarded, he was not drunk. THEY HAVE SAID THAT NUMEROUS TIMES. Im sick of this story also. When another hunter does not announce his presence accidents can happen. Easily..Hes fine, it was an accident! get over it..
The media is covering much more stupid things than Cheneys shooting...like that stupid Laci Peterson thing and Michael Jackson...
Laci Peterson was more importent than this..Laci was killed and tortured and thrown in the lake or w.e..Murder is more importent than a <Censored> accident
Why is a random murder thrown on the news for 3 months when dozens of murders occur in that time frame? If Bill Clinton did something like the this the press would drag it out too. It happens in our media, we don't care about the world and we don't understand it so the news constantly flaunts any white missing child on TV, or any pretty women killed, and they don't let it go because of ratings.
And now we are selling US ports to the U.A.E. and President Bush had no clue this was happening? Hmmmm, im not really buying that.
I really doubt he knew about it..The whole UAE thing has been blown out of proportion, they are a great company and just because they are from a muslim country means nothing.
because the other guy didnt say he was there. when your hunting you need to do that or you will EASILY be shot at.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>why didnt cheney get charged with attempted murder?</div> No intent.
