Cheney shoots at the GROUND, hits Wittingham. Look at this:

[FormerRepublican]

In the transcript of the interview with Cheney, he says:

"THE VICE PRESIDENT: He was dressed in orange, he was dressed properly, but he was also -- there was a little bit of a gully there, so he was down a little ways before land level, although I could see the upper part of his body when -- I didn't see it at the time I shot, until after I'd fired. And the sun was directly behind him -- that affected the vision, too, I'm sure.

But the image of him falling is something I'll never be able to get out of my mind. I fired, and there's Harry falling. And it was, I'd have to say, one of the worst days of my life, at that moment."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/15/AR2006021502005.html

So Cheney wasn't shooting at Wittingham's face, neck and chest, he was actually aiming LOWER than that because Wittingham was standing in a gully. So Cheney was basically shooting at the ground, and hit Wittingham instead. What the heck was Cheney shooting at the ground for?

This whole thing stinks to high heaven. Cheney is just coming up with excuses for why he "didn't see" Whittingham. "Oh, the sun was in my eye, Wittingham was ducking and hiding from me, oh my big toe hurt..."

:puke:

Just more Cheney lies.

[Imalittleteapot]

1. Shooting at the ground

because the birds could hardly get off of it. Farm raised, wings clipped.

OR

He was shooting to flush the covey.

OR

He was drunk.

Gads...who knows?????

[Tulum_Moon]

5. I don't think quail fly

To be honest at first I wondered why he shot him in the face when quail are usually seen running across the ground.
But I still think he should be in jail. Either way. At the ground or in the air. He shot a guy!

[CottonBear]

9. Quail fly. n/t

[Xithras]

13. Yes, quail fly.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Tame birds

apparently they are literally sitting ducks, and they can't get very far off the ground. He's some hunter that Dick Cheney. :sarcasm:

[vptpt]

6. Then I don't understand why he didn't go to Vietnam

As far as I know, the Vietnamese people don't have wings and, thus, can't fly either. For a heartless "man" like Cheney, wouldn't shooting humans be a whole lot more fun than shooting birds?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

12. Because the Vietnamese people would fight back

and that wouldn't be fair fight for a coward like Cheney. Give him poor, unarmed, dazed little caged-raised birds with clipped wings to put the fun back into hunting. That there a millions of Bushbots out there that are still making excuses for this "moran" is astounding.

[Tulum_Moon]

18. Well he did shoot Harry

He was a person.

[FormerRepublican]

20. That would reveal another Cheney lie - he says they were WILD birds.

Not farm raised. More lies?

[Dunvegan]

3. Lies! Cheney Instantly Contradicted Himself!

Cheney: "although I could see the upper part of his body when -- I didn't see it at the time I shot, until after I'd fired."

So which is it?

First, Cheney said he saw Whittington.

Then, in the very next breath, Cheney said I didn't see him until after I fired.

Here's a thought about firing...

Fire Cheney!

[vptpt]

7. He must have stood up really fast!

A 78-year-old man suddenly springing into the path of a shot. Interesting.

[marions ghost]

21. I noticed that too

It's like he was trying to adjust his story for "accuracy" as he went along....

so was he going to say "although I could see the upper part of his body when I shot him....?!?"

[Occulus]

4. It's obvious a reconstruction is required.

Would or would that not be what you or me would be subject to?

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. He's sweating bullets. But I want to know why the lady friend

that was with them hasn't come out to present her version of events. First, her name is not immediately released, then she seems to have skidaddled from the scene, and now today I read about "a rumor".

Perhaps Dick knows the base will forgive him for shooting another individual, but affairs of the heart would be an absolute betrayal. Or, so you'ld think...

PS edit - One more thing. The property owner is the one being touted as "the witness". No mention of the woman standing beside him when the gun was fired. :shrug:

[Zen Democrat]

11. And the property owner, Mrs. Armstrong, wasn't a witness.

Or else she lied when she told the AP that when she saw the Secret Service running toward the scene, she assumed that it was because Cheney was having heart problems.

Now, isn't it obvious she didn't witness the shooting of Mr. Whittington?

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. Yes! She was not a witness but this other lady was!

Something's fishy about her being completely out of the whole story. If she and Dick are so close and such good friends, why didn't he trot her out in front of cameras to get it over and done with? It would have been over by noon Monday!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

16. she was witness of the guy lying in blood only - but he didn't say

or qualify what kind of witness she was...

[Dunvegan]

10. Finally. As we've long said: We won't be able to get a impeachment...

...unless we catch Blivit or Crashcart either getting a blow-job from an Executive staffer, or unless they shoot someone (in the face.)

With this scandal we just may have BOTH.

Me? I'm praying for a TRIFECTA!

[Sydnie]

15. And now he knows how those kids in Iraq feel

He shot his friend while having a fun weekend. These kids see their friends blown to bits right in front of them all the time. You think they ever forget that visual Dick? You think they ever forget that they have shot people too Dick? You think they ever get over having to wash their friends brains off their body and their clothes Dick?

Tell me Dick, how are they going to wash it from their mind for the rest of their life?

He should be forced to travel around and tell the story of how he shot his friend to the kids in the vet hospitals and then let them tell him some stories too. Maybe now, it will penetrate that ratfuck's brain. Maybe now he will have a clue of what memories these kids will be haunted by.

I am so angry I can't see straight.

Fuck off and die Dick!

[Bucky]

22. I think this is the best, most honest take on this thing I've read

Hunting accidents happen. I can't see much of a scandal here. But the fact is that this is an administration that routinely sends people off to kill a/o die while ignoring the human costs of what they do. I'd love to think that this could wake Cheney up to certain human realities. I would really love to think that.

But of course we all know better.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. OMG - You've got it ! Cheney thought his friend was a bird!!

[daleo]

19. He needs to testify under oath

So do the other people present. Medical and ballistics experts are needed as well.