I am not a hunter myself, never have been, but I know a few. One is a multi-millionaire who recently returned from a hunt at some high dollar retreat in Germany. It sounded like The Armstrong Ranch of Germany, much older though. Ernie said his German hosts mentioned that Cheney had just been a guest there recently. They said Cheney was no stranger to whiskey, used the most vulgar language they had ever heard and they had to forcefully stop him from hunting because he was inebriated. Ernie is a Republican, by the way, as it seems most multi-millionaires are. He is a devoted Rush Limbaugh listener. I was shocked to hear him even remotely criticize "his boy" Cheney. When he went on, I understood. Cheney had crossed the line. Ernie could forgive botching Iraq, a few dead elderly and blacks in New Orleans and even violating the Constitution, but he could not forgive what Cheney did on the Armstrong Ranch.

"Cheney was dead drunk. Why do you think they whisked him away? Why do you think they were killing time? To get his blood alcohol down. But one thing I cannot forgive him for....he did not ride in the ambulance with his buddy to the hospital. You just don't shoot a hunting buddy and then not go with him. That is wrong. I don't care if you're the King of Siam, you ride with your buddy."

I was stunned. But it all made sense now. Cheney's slip about the beer at lunch. Armstrong insistence about "Dr. Pepper", (an odd little specific that has put me off the drink forever) Can you say "silver flask"? For Ernie to say these things to me! He knows that I was a Conscientious Objector during Vietnam and served 2 years in hospitals. I'm still amazed that this was the straw that broke Ernie's back with the Bush Boys.

Go figure.

Intersting "big tent" for this new Republican mob. "Diversity" is hardly the brand of Rove Republican, or any other that I discern. (Go figure the "Lincoln" gay community.)

I for one would like to understand what it is that draws Regan blue collars to Texas royalty, other than a wish to brush shoulders with it. Ain't none of them in that hunting party, except maybe the guys who breed the birds to be killed by "royal sportsmen."

Talk about eugneics! These birds are bred to be flawed as to make it easier to kill them with a shotgun filled with pellets. And the macho winner is the guy who bags he most, except for human beings I suppose, as long as they are part of the royalty.

Dick Cheney is a man who lives a very priviledged life with a house in a gated community in Wyoming. He likes to get photo ops on these "hunting trips" (which are little more than canned hunts) so as to humanize his image to the masses. He is nothing but a rich, country club Republican much like Bush (a Connecticut yankee who bought a "ranch" in Crawford, Texas). These guys are not good ol' boys. They are rich, powerful, well connected, power hungry people who are above the law.

Cheney most likely had been drinking. The guy has more DUIs than W and both are untreated drunks. And we all know that drunks and druggies do nothing but lie. This is the story and why it has resonance. God knows the corporate press has given these guys pretty much carte blanche on all of their evil doings. But this is a story most people can understand (like Clinton's sexcapade).

This is just more of the same corrupt and criminal behavior. And unless the victim dies within a year (God forbid), old Dick won't be charged with negligent homicide.

The fact that Cheney chose to hide behind Ms. Armstrong's skirts shows what a coward he is. And he only claimed "full responsibility" after the two day news cycle where the Texas Royalty were blaming the victim and figured out it wasn't playing well to the public.

Lisa

This is the first reference I have seen to Renoir's film. I immediately thought of it as this story unfolded. Great minds think alike. Or not many people have seen the 1939 film called by some one of the greatest films ever. Probably the latter. The hunting scene is exactly what a caged hunt looks like: The privileged with their imported shotguns massacring defenseless creatures for nothing more than the thrill of the kill.

Yes, the rich are different from the rest of us - they're rich.

Oh, and Cheney shot a guy in the face.

Carry on.

This is a non-story. Plain and simple. I am neither a knee-jerk Bush basher nor a straight-ticket GOP voter, just someone with a little common sense and someone who believes that there are much more important things to worry about right now.

The old joke still works...I would rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than driving with Ted Kennedy.

More important than understanding who's really running the country and why they're running it the way they are?

No, there isn't anything more important than this. It's Americans being deliberately kept in the dark about this that has allowed these people to come to power. If the general American public understood that the country was being run by a handful of rich families who couldn't care less about the general American public, then maybe fewer Americans would swallow everything they say hook, line and sinker.

AUSTIN 512-916-5103 for the local Secret Service.

Public Affairs

U.S. Secret Service

Office of Government Liaison & Public Affairs

245 Murray Drive,

Building 410,

Washington, DC 20223

202.406.5708

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Other important information

How far away distance Cheney was from Whittington? Video of experiment of shooting 28 gauge shotgun, other info including telephone number, email of Kenedy County sheriff, and more.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/02/14/video-cheney-hunting-accident-simulation/

other people wrote this:

Yes Harry got peppered with birdshot pellets, but not at 30 yds as Dick says > more like 15 yds! Birdshot to penetrate deep enough to go into the heart means a close-in shot!

I know those 7.5 pellets are small, but somehow I don’t think there are 200 of ‘em in 1 28 gauge shell.

http://www.caller.com/#

About 1/4 of the way down there is a link. Photographer is a quail hunter and writes for the Corpus Christi paper and immediately tried out a 28 gauge shotgun at 15 yards.

In a message dated 2/16/2006 4:30:31 AM Pacific Standard Time, info@blackcreeklodge.com writes:

http://www.caller.com/ccct/local_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_811_4465590,00.html

Avid shooter simulates the accident, its injuries

By John Powell Metz/Caller.com

February 14, 2006

People with no hunting experience might have a tough time visualizing the damage Harry Whittington sustained when he was sprayed with birdshot Saturday afternoon.

To see what the injuries might have looked like, Caller-Times photographer George Gongora, an avid shooter, simulated the accident Monday morning at Corpus Christi Pistol & Rifle Club. He fired at a paper target 30 yards away with his 28-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot shells.

"We can pretty much see that at least over 200 BBs have touched this area right here," Gongora said, motioning to the face and torso area of the target.

George Gongora/Caller-Times

A paper target helps illustrate the kind of damage that is possible when a 28-gauge shotgun loaded with birdshot shells is fired from 30 yards away.

VIDEO: Caller-Times photographer and avid shooter George Gongora simulates Saturday's accident with a 28-gauge shotgun.

Copyright 2006, Caller.com. All Rights Reserved.

Couple of things.... It is a 28 gauge shotgun. At 50 yrds birdshot (size 7 or 8) will still sting and depending on the powder charge may break the skin. It would also depend on the choke.

Now at ten yards, totally different story. Expect the person to die. Even with a skeet choke the pattern will be very tight and moving VERY fast. It will do alot of damage. I had rather be shot with a rifle at close range.

============================================================

From: KarenH100@aol.com

Date: 2006/02/15 Wed PM 10:38:56 EST

To: Info@blackcreeklodge.com

Subject: Question regarding quail hunting

Sarita, Tx Kenedy Co Sheriffs No 362-294-5205

knedyso@rivnet.com

361-294-5260 fax

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22361-294-5205%22&btnG=Google+Search

Ramon Salinas III 101 Mallory Sarita TX 78385