Dick Cheney

I’m bothered by the Dick Cheney story but it may not be for the reasons you may think. I’m bothered by the press' sense of entitlement. Quite honestly – it’s pissing me off.

Let’s review the facts.

1. Dick Cheney was on a hunting trip where on Saturday he accidentally wounded Harry Whittington, a man he’s known for three decades. Whittington was given immediate medical assistance and taken immediately to a hospital where he was admitted under his own name.
2. Whittington’s wife and children were notified before the press and this took some time.
3. The Vice president thought it best that the host and eye-witness to the shooting be the person to tell the story of what happened but by the time the family of the wounded man was notified and a local reporter was rounded up – it was Sunday. And by the time the national press picked up the story it was Sunday afternoon.

Those are the facts and the facts are undisputed. What is in dispute (or what the main stream media would have you believe) is who the real victim was here. Anyone with half a brain can see that the victim here is Harry Whittington who was accidentally shot. The press would have you believe that the real victim here is the truth and the freedom of the press in this country and this is what is frankly pissing me off.

It took about 18 hours for the story of the hunting accident to get out. Many in the press are quick to point out that this was also the amount of time it took Ted Kennedy to admit to an accident that took a young girl’s life. It sickens me that this hunting accident and Chappaquiddick are even mentioned in the same breath.

Dick Cheney made sure Harry Whittington got immediate medical attention. Ted Kennedy let Mary Jo Kopechne drown. Dick Cheney made sure that the family of Harry Whittington was notified before the press feeding frenzy took place. How do you think the family of Mary Jo Kopechne was notified?

I’m both a husband and a father. I can't help but put myself in Harry Whittington’s shoes (not that I plan to be shot by a high ranking government official any time soon). Would you want your wife or children to learn that you were shot from a sensationalized news report that would have sketchy details at best? That’s exactly what would have happened if this was reported on Saturday.

Can you imagine hearing on the news that your father was shot and not being able to get any details because the telephone line to your parent’s house in inundated with calls from reporters asking for a comment or an interview? If you were Harry’s son and you couldn’t get through to mom on the phone – who would you call then? The Vice president’s office?

Dick Cheney handled this the right way from the standpoint of Harry Whittington and his family and to me that’s all that counts. I could care less that the media is upset because they weren’t able to immediately talk about this on the Sunday morning talk shows.