Texas Man Shot by Vice President Cheney in 2006 Still Waiting for Apology

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

Nearly five years after being shot by Vice President Cheney on a hunting trip, Harry Whittington is still waiting for an apology.

Now 82, Whittington tells The Washington Post’s Paul Fahri in an extensive interview that he still has about 30 pieces of birdshot inside him, remnants from the Feb. 2006 shooting incident that happened on a south Texas ranch.

Fahri reports that Whittington’s injuries were “more dire than previously disclosed.”

Four days after the shooting, the birdshot near his heart cause it to “beat erratically” and Whittington was admitted back into the intensive care unit. Whittington’s doctors said he suffered a mild heart attack, but he downplayed it as a heart “event.”

...

“The load from Cheney's gun came close to, but didn't damage, the carotid artery in his neck,” Fahri reports. “A rupture could have been fatal, particularly since it took the better part of an hour to transport him from the vast Armstrong ranch to the Kingsville hospital.”

But perhaps the most stunning revelation in the article is that nearly five years later, Whittington is still waiting for an apology from Cheney.

When asked if Cheney ever said sorry to him, Whittington “who has been talking about his life and career for hours, suddenly draws silent.”

"I'm not going to go into that," he says sharply after a short pause.

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/10/texas-man-shot-by-vice-president-cheney-in-2006-still-waiting-for-apology.html

[Enrique]

1. of all the nerve

after all the grief this guy has already caused poor Dick Cheney, now he comes out and harrasses him some more.

[sharp_stick]

2. Why would Cheney apologize

the son of a bitch got between him and a quail. Seriously though, Whittington actually apologized to Darth after the shooting citing the unnecessary amount of stress the media attention was having on poor ol' Dick.

I wonder if the cyborg prick ever even bothered to call him back?

[meegbear]

3. Harry Whittington apologized to Cheney ...

if someone is gonna get shot and then apologize to the shooter, he doesn't deserve an apology.

No sympathy here sunshine.

[Evasporque]

12. No accident....

Probably was pissed off at something Whitt said...or wouldn't do for Dick.

[wmbrew0206]

34. Obvisouly coming from someone who has never quail hunted.

I know you are probably kidding but I know a lot of posters on here really believe it.

I do not want to be seen as defending the US's leading Sith Lord, but people do get shot quail hunting pretty often. When I heard that Cheney had shot someone, my first reaction was that he was probably quail hunting. I can think of four different people I know who have been shot quail hunting. Trying to say that it was intentional is ridiculous, since if Cheney really wanted the guy gone, there a thousands of ways he could have had it done with no one knowing he was involved.

If you have never been quail before, it is hard to understand but let me try. Basically there are two shooters on the ground slightly a head of a guide/dog handler that is between them. When a dog goes on point the two shooters advance in a little bit further in front of the guide. Each shooter is only suppose to shoot straight in front of him and 90 degrees to the left (if on the left side) or 90 degrees to the right (if on the right side) and at least up at a 40 degree angle. All shooters are suppose to know the location of the hunting party in the buggy and try and keep it at their 6 o'clock. No one else is suppose to get of the buggy (or horse depending if you are on horseback) and be on the ground. Typically when all the shooting for a covey is done, the shooters and the guide all yell clear and they will start looking for the down birds.

From what I have heard on about this incident, the man who was shot by Cheney had gotten off the buggy to retrieve a down bird and had not told the shooters he was doing it. While he was doing this a quail flushed toward Cheney and Cheney thought he had a clear line of fire because the buggy and the hunting party were not in his shooting area. By the time he realized someone in his line of fire it was too late.

Like I said, I've know several people who have been shot quail hunting and it happens more than you would think. Hunters/Humans tend to focus on the bird and sometimes don't focus on what is behind it until it is too late. This is why most buggy's have metal side walls that people can drop behind in case someone starts chasing a bird and it heads towards the buggy.

[Thor_MN]

39. Whittington must be very tall to have been shot from a gun elevated at 40 degrees

I recall there being a lot of spin of him being "peppered" (hitting by descending shot, at a distance, after it reaches it's peak trajectory) rather than being directly shot at short distance, but the extent of his wounds quickly dispelled that Bush admin lie, except for Faux and other right-wing media.

[wmbrew0206]

45. It is suppose to be 40 degrees, but depending on how the quail flies and where

40 degrees is not always going to happen since quail don't tend to fly that high and you have to let them get some distance before shooting. There was no question that Whittington was not "peppered." You don't have to go to the hospital if you get peppered.

I am not saying that Cheney doesn't owe this guy an apology, because he does. Or that Cheney shot wasn't under shooting under 40 degrees, because it is clear he was. However, Whittington should not have been down on the ground trying to retrieve a bird while the two shooters still actively shooting.

[No Elephants]

41. "From what I have heard on about this incident," Stop right there.

[wmbrew0206]

43. Ever been quail hunting? If not, Stop right there.

Go read the article. Whittington says that he was on the ground retrieving a down bird while the two shooters were still actively hunting. That is a huge No-No in quail hunting.

Like I said above, Cheney owes the guy and apology and was shooting below 40 degrees. However to try and say that Whittington is blamely is this is wrong.

[No Elephants]

46. Oh, please.

No one has to have hunted quail (or anything else) to know you may not have heard the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this event.

Parenthetical edited for typo and clarity

[wmbrew0206]

47. Then go read the article and tell me if there is antything in there that says

Whittington was not on the ground retrieving a down bird while there was shooting going on. Good luck, since Whittington says he was.

[No Elephants]

49. And Whittington would never cover for Cheney, right? No one there that day did, right?

[wmbrew0206]

50. Are you really suggesting that Cheney decided to shoot Wittington on purpose?

The idea being that the second most powerful man in the world, who literally can task extremely skilled black ops operators, would decide the easiest why to get rid of someone he doesn't like is to personally shoot him with a 20 gauge shotgun in front of a bunch of witnesses?

[Evasporque]

51. thrilling isn't it....that a man like that would actually pop someone in the face

just because he was pissed at him....

and then said..."Oh you got in my line of fire."

[Paladin]

54. This Isn't The Venue For Cheney Worship. (n/t)

[The Backlash Cometh]

17. After Cheney passes into the next world, this guy will probably admit

he was afraid of him.

[No Elephants]

42. +1 He apologized AND he covered up.

I do feel bad he was shot, especially in the face and near the heart, but not about the lack of apology (if indeed that is what his refusal to speak means).

To be fair, he's not whined about it or asked for sympathy, though.

[Brickbat]

4. Not surprising at all. ETA: My son took a firearms class this fall and they talked about this

shooting quite a bit. If a bunch of 11-year-olds can describe the many ways Cheney fucked up, then I'd say that's a fuckup worthy of an apology.

[Botany]

5. Now is not the time to come out and say your piece Mr. Whittington .....

..... you had your chance in 2006 but you played the role that Cheney wanted you to do so it is now a little late
for buyer's remorse. Dick Cheney was not 30 + feet from you when he fired his shotgun and he had been drinking
too. If you have an ounce of self respect left in you tell the world the real story.


"Today’s story in the Post raises questions about whether the circumstances of the accident “may have pushed the limits
of safety,” because the group was hunting at dusk and visibility may have been poor; Cheney may not have had a clear
line of fire before shooting, and there may have been alcohol involved."

[thereismore]

6. Cheeney could do that one thing before he kicks the bucket. nt

[RedEarth]

7. link to Washington Post article.....

Since Dick Cheney shot him, Harry Whittington's aim has been to move on


News accounts routinely described Whittington as Cheney's "old friend" and "hunting buddy." In fact, the two men barely knew each other. Before the shooting, they had met briefly only three times since the mid-1970s and had never gone hunting together before. "The most you could say is that he was an acquaintance," Whittington says.

The circumstances of the accident also suggest the hunting party may have pushed the limits of safety. According to eyewitnesses quoted in a brief police investigation of the incident, the accident took place around 5:30 p.m. -- essentially dusk in southern Texas in February. Visibility was fading. Whittington says the sun had already retreated below the horizon but that there was a "limited" amount of daylight. Further, Cheney was wearing safety glasses, but it's unclear from the investigation if he was also wearing his eyeglasses. (Cheney's spokesman did not respond to repeated requests for comment.)

Whittington recalls that he was standing off to Cheney's right, looking for a downed bird. He doesn't remember exactly how far away he was when Cheney, tracking a bird, twisted quickly in his direction and fired. Whittington was angled toward Cheney at the time; hence, the wounds on his right side. Cheney later told a police investigator that he was standing in a slightly elevated position relative to Whittington, meaning he was aiming downward. The police report notes that Whittington would have been wounded on the lower half of his body if he and Cheney had been on same level.

This violates two basic rules of hunting safety, says Ralph Stuart, the editor of Shooting Sportsman, a hunting magazine. The first is the shooter's obligation to ensure that he has a clear line of fire before pulling the trigger. The second is the "blue-sky rule," meaning that a hunter shouldn't fire until he can see blue sky beneath a bird, thus greatly reducing the chances of hitting another hunter or dog. "Quail often fly low and demand lower shots," Stuart points out, but that makes it "doubly important" that the shooter is aware of what's between him and the bird and just beyond.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/13/AR2010101307173_4.html?hpid=topnews&sid=ST2010101307297

[Botany]

10. Cheney's story never passed the smell test

If the bird was even just above head height and Mr. Widdington was 30 yards away as per Cheney's story
the trajectory of the bird shot would be well of Mr. Widdington's head. And the level of trauma Mr. Widdington
suffered could never have been caused by # 8 shot at that distance. Some of the shot went through Widdington's
hunting vest, shirt, t shirt, skin, chest wall, muscles, and lodged with in inches of his heart.

One more crime that Cheney will get to walk away from with no penalty.

[Angry Dragon]

11. Your post talks of rules

cheney sets his own rules ............. :beer:

[COLGATE4]

8. I hope he's not holding his breath. Being a 'Cheeney' means

never having to say you're sorry.

[herbm]

9. I know the man as a customer from an Austin restaurant I worked at. A gentleman.

[billymayshere]

13. Harry you asshole

We have been waiting for an apology from him since the late sixties.

[madmom]

14. Dems must apologize for an assistant who uses unsavory words, pugs can

shoot someone in the face and make the victim apologize. Yep that's the repug way.

[No Elephants]

44. Bingo!

On the other hand, no one told Cheney not to apologize, or that everyone would love him, even if he didn't apologize. He simply chose not to apologize, regardless of what the consequences of that choice might be. Democrats have that same choice, but opt for apologizing. So, whose fault is that?

[Champion Jack]

15. Get in line pal, he owes the world an apology

[UTUSN]

16. K&R big #5 n/t

[Demeter]

18. Penguins will Colonize Texas Before That Happens

[Ticonderoga]

19. When one SORRY SOB

shoots another SORRY SOB in the face, is it really necessary to say you're SORRY?

[bullwinkle428]

20. "I'll give ya an apology on our next hunting trip, ya bastard!"

[damntexdem]

21. It's a good thing his survival didn't depend on an apology from Cheney.

But had Cheney apologized, he would likely have said something like "I'm sorry if I offended you by shooting you in the face." ;-)

[krispos42]

22. I was talking with a co-worker about this when it happened

When I said that the victim apologized to Cheney, he shook his head and said "Now THAT'S power, man".

[Turbineguy]

23. I thought Whittington apologized?

That's how it works. I'm sorry I punched you in the fist with my eye.

[sadbear]

24. The statue of limitations on all Cheney crimes is apparently instantaneous

Someone has to die before that man gets an apology from Dick.

[Thor_MN]

40. I doubt Chenney has ever apologized to anyone in his adult life

I highly doubt he has apologized to anyone killed due to his war mongering as VP.

[No Elephants]

48. We have no evidence Cheney apologizes for causing deaths.

No Gold Star family has reported an apology as far as we know. Neither has the family of anyone who died while being tortured.

[Blue Owl]

25. On a canned hunt, no less

What a cowardly POS, that Dick Cheney.

[Arugula Latte]

26. Before they seal up the Chilean mine, can we drop Cheney down the hole?

[opihimoimoi]

27. Cheney is an EVIL DUDE.....he has no CLASS

[The Second Stone]

28. It was an accident and Cheney was very reckless

I understand that the guy does not want to become the center of attention and did not want to distract from the nation's business as he and Cheney saw it, but Cheney owes this guy an apology and a sincere one. The fact that Wittington can't say that Cheney apologized makes Cheney look more like a monster than even his politics.

[daleo]

29. A Cheney apology goes like this:

"Go fu__ yourself".

[PfcHammer]

30. Pffft. Don't hold your breath.

[HughBeaumont]

31. It'll be a cold day in Cheney's future home before you get a "sorry" out of that motherfucker.

Vice President Abaddon Torch doesn't do "sorry". One would have to have a heart first.

[queerart]

32. He Didn't Mind Staying Silent....

When he was hurt worse than reported, and was the darling of the "in crowd"......


So why wait this long to rightfully say "I expect an apology"......


What's his game at this point? A tell all book in the pipes?

[Beetwasher]

33. I Don't Think It Was An Accident

Just my opinion. Whittington did something to piss Cheney off and Cheney took him "hunting".

[tanyev]

35. The way Cheney's looking lately, ol' Harry might get the last laugh anyway.

[independent_voter]

36. family guy youtube clip 'hunting with dick cheney'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC9PTsDbN1I

[Mz Pip]

37. Hell will freeze over

before Dickwad apologizes for anything, ever.

If I shot someone in the face I'd be apologizing every day of my life. What a horrible thing to have happen. Quick draw Dick probably blames the victim for getting in the way of his buckshot.

[pinniped]

38. Cheney already received an apology for the nit getting in his way.

.

[zonkers]

52. Maybe you should have piped up when it mattered.

[mikeSchmuckabee]

53. Didn't this skeez THANK chainy for shooting him?

When he came out of the hospital?

Boo-hoo. Next time BUCKSHOT.

[mvd]

55. There's no personal responsibility for wealthy Repukes.

Only for the middle class and poor, according to how they act.

[Owl]

56. Whittington may be rich, be he's still a fool... apology? From his supposed friend/buddy?

[Rex]

57. True Nixon Repukes don't apologize for anything!

Unless they are Nixon...