musing minds

Brit Hume is interviewing Dick Cheney tonight on Special Report at 6 p.m. Eastern.

Excerpts above.

Hey! You copied!	You look like a crossing guard. Besides, my hat is better!

Images courtesy of Expose the Left.

She starts with this great pic from Lucianne

and then goes on to list the best case and worse case scenarios.

Go Read!

I had a few thoughts about the partial transcript of the press briefing below:

One: You can’t really get it from the transcript, but David Gregory was almost constantly interrupting Scott McClellan.

Two: It seemed as though the only answer that would satisfy David Gregory would have been something like:

The Vice President didn’t follow protocol and call you or BlackBerry you immediately after the trigger was pulled. Therefore, the Vice President will have to spend some time in the “Vice Presidential Time Out Chair” in the corner of the Oval Office.

Three: I really think Scott McClellan issued a smackdown on David Gregory.

Update: For those arriving by search click here to see my post on David Gregory’s apology with link from there.

Partial transcript of today’s White House Press Briefing…

White House transcript here.

Gregory: …and why it took so long to disclose it publically?

McClellan: Well I think what happened has been explained. The Vice President’s office talked about it. I’ve talked about it. And I represent the President, speak for him. The Vice President’s spokeswoman speaks for him as well. So that information has been provided. We went through this pretty thoroughly yesterday.

Gregory: Does the President think that the Vice President should actually speak about it himself, not through intermediaries?

McClellan: You talk to the Vice President on a fairly frequent basis in the past, and I’m sure you will in the future as well.

Gregory: But he shouldn’t really have to address it specifically?

McClellan: Well he has. Through his office.

Gregory: Ok, let me ask you this. Is the President concerned that the Vice President made decisions about the public disclosure of this incident that are clearly at odds with how you and others advising the President disclose personal information about the President’s activities?

McClellan: Let me just say this, because I sense that there’s some follow-up questions that you all have. First of all, I think we went through this pretty thoroughly yesterday and I worked to answer the questions to the best of ability in a forthright manner, based on the facts that I knew. There were some very legitimate questions that were asked. As I indicated, I always believe that you can look back and work to do better. I indicated that yesterday. I think today where we’re focusing our efforts, is on what are the most pressing priorities before the American people? That’s what we’re focusing on. I understand you still have some, if you want to continue to spend time on that, that’s fine, but we’re moving on to the priorities of the American people. That’s where our focus is.

Gregory: That’s clear and that’s your perogative. Now I’ve got my job to do which is try to get you to answer that question. Does the President think it’s appropriate for the Vice President to essentially make decisions at odds with the public disclosure process of this White House?

McClellan: Well, I think that I’ve expressed my views when we went through this yesterday. That’s what I was trying to… that’s what I was trying to indicate to you…

Gregory: Does the President have a view about how the Vice President’s conducted himself?

McClellan: Again, that’s what I’ve… I indicated to you yesterday what our views were. And we went throught this…

Gregory: I don’t recall you sharing the President’s view.

McClellan: Yeah, but can I finish responding? I am glad to answer your questions. I was very respectful. I was very respectful and responsive to you all…

Gregory: The Vice President basically decided on his own to not disclose this which is at odds with how you do business and how the President does business. Right?

McClellan: I don’t want to make this about anything other than what it is. It is what it is David. I was very respectful and responsive to your questions yesterday. I provided you the information that I knew based on the facts that were available. And we’ve been through this pretty thoroughly. And I’m just not…Wait, wait. I’m just not going to go back through it again. I’d appreciate if you’d let me respond fully before you jump in.

Gregory: All right, but, hold on one second. I’ve got one final question…

McClellan: Other people in this room have questions, and we’ve got an event coming up.

Gregory: I’m not getting answers here Scott and I’m trying to be forthright with you. But don’t tell me that you’re giving us complete answers when you’re not actually answering the question. Because everybody knows what is an answer and what is not an answer. And the final …

McClellan: David, now you want to make this about you. And it’s not about you, it’s about what happened and that’s what I’m trying to do…

Gregory: I’m sorry that you feel that way, but that’s not what I’m trying to do.

McClellan: And I’m trying to provide answers to the questions.

Gregory: One final question, since that one wasn’t answered. Is it appropriate for the Vice President to have waited 14 hours after the incident before he spoke with the law enforcement officials? And do you think that an average citizen would have been accorded that same amount of time before having to answer questions about a shooting incident?

McClellan: That is what was arranged with the local law enforcement authorities. You ought to ask them.

That was two questions for your final question Mr. Gregory…

Blogs for Bush caught a few bits that I missed – added in italics above.

It’s Tuesday again!

It’s now been 380 days since John Kerry promised to release his military records. He has yet to do so in a manner that is completely public, where you and I can take a look at them…

Cao’s Blog has more…

The press is really pushing the question of timing. Why did it take so long. Why weren’t we informed immediately? Wah-wah-wah…

Update: Expose the Left has video…

Update 2: Full White House transcript here.

One reporter said:You’ve repeatedly said that the Vice President’s office will share this information with us. Will you tell us, will you now ask them to share this information with us because they’re not.
McClellan: Share what information?
Reporter: Details of what happened.
McClellan: I don’t know with the way you characterize…
Reporter:More infomation
McClellan: Mrs. Armstrong provided that information. She was an eyewitness to what took place.
Another Reporter:Someone from his office
Reporter: Why can’t we get someone from his office to answer these questions?
McClellan: Well, talk to his office. I think they have provided response to questions.
New Reporter: Is it proper for the Vice President to offer his resignation or has he offered his resignation?
McClellan: That’s an absurd question.

What a question. I knew that would be coming. I posted on it yesterday…
Then there’s this:

Reporter: Scott, when you consider the chronology that you’ve tried to go through here, and all of the various wrinkles of how long it took for the primary information that the Vice President was the person who shot this fellow to get through to the President himself, is there any notion here for reviewing your own communications apparatus? I mean, this is sort of reminiscent of the levee story frankly. You know?
McClellan: I’m sorry. I reject that. I disagree with that fully, Peter. I don’t know what you’re referring to. there, but I’ll reject the insinuation there.
Reporter: Well, when you look at how long it took for the information in that case to get through, the information in this case to get through, are you looking at….
McClellan: There are certain facts that you don’t know necessarily immediately. The people are getting that information together. In terms of exactly what happened. I don’t think you immediately know all the facts in situations that you bring up. And particularly in terms of a hurricane that was unprecedented in terms of the scope of the damage that occurred. So I don’t know how you can leap from here to there comparably.
Reporter: Well surely, they immediately knew that the Vice President of the United States shot someone.
McClellan: And you know what their immediate response was? To make sure he was getting the medical care. Well, no, no. You may know that, but people that are listening need to hear that too. The Vice President went over to him and making sure that his team was getting to him and taking care of him. That’s what the first priority always ought to be. Now I know that it’s important to inform the media. And I’ve told you I believe it’s important to get that information out as quickly as possible. Well I think he [President Bush] was informed in a relatively reasonable amount of time.

And another:

Reporter: Would this be much more serious if the man had died? Would that change the equation?
McClellan: Of course it would Connie. It would have been terrible. Personally, I don’t know him very well, but I know Mr. Whittington and I have great respect for him knowing who he is and what he’s done. It would be horrible news.

What a group of people…

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Newsbusters reports that ABC used the shooting accident to take a shot at Justice Scalia. You’ll remember that the Justice went hunting with Vice President Cheney and then refused to recuse himself when the Supreme Court heard the Sierra Club’s suit to force VP Cheney to reveal exactly who said what in energy policy meetings.

Newsbusters also reports that NBC was able to provide a somewhat longer report and didn’t resort to mentioning the old Sierra Club suit.

Breaking News: When Dick Cheney turned to shoot a bird at a hunting party yesterday, Austin attorney and friend Harry Whittington (78) was accidentally sprayed with some of the bird shot. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Corpus Christi and is doing fine.

Via Michelle Malkin:

AP/Breitbart:

Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and injured a man during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, his spokeswoman said Sunday.

Harry Whittington, 78, was “alert and doing fine” after Cheney sprayed Whittington with shotgun pellets on Saturday at the Armstrong Ranch in south Texas, said property owner Katharine Armstrong.

Armstrong said Cheney turned to shoot a bird and accidentally hit Whittington. She said Whittington was taken to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital by ambulance.

Cheney’s spokeswoman, Lea Anne McBride, said the vice president was with Whittington, a lawyer from Austin, Texas, and his wife at the hospital on Sunday afternoon.

What will they make of this? Some will call for banning quail hunting. Other’s will call for Cheney’s immediate arrest and conviction. They will also call for immediate impeachment if Cheney doesn’t immediately resign.

Fox News reports that Mr. Whittington came up behind Mr. Cheney and another hunter and did not advertise his presence behind them. Mr. Cheney turned to shoot a bird and some of the spray hit Mr. Whittington.

Our prayers are with Mr. Whittington for his speedy recovery.

Accidents are accidents.

Update: Fox News reports that Mr. Whittington was hit in the cheek, neck and chest. A hospital employee reports that the wounds are not serious.

Also posting: Stop the ACLU, Blogs for Bush

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