reality-based educator

Why doesn't this story surprise me:

WASHINGTON Feb 12, 2006 (AP)— 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.

Nice shot, Dick.

Who gave that stupid fuck a gun?

Giving Cheney a gun is like giving him the authority to start a war.

You know he's going to use it and you know he's going to fuck it up.

Stupid.

In other Cheney news, senators from both parties want to see him probed in the CIA leak case for authorizing the leaking of classified material:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald should investigate Vice President Dick Cheney and others in the CIA leak probe if they authorized an aide to give secret information to reporters, Democratic and Republican senators said Sunday.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., called the leak of intelligence information ''inappropriate'' if it is true that unnamed ''superiors'' instructed Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis ''Scooter'' Libby, to divulge the material on Iraq.

Sen. George Allen, R-Va., said a full investigation is necessary.

''I don't think anybody should be releasing classified information, period, whether in the Congress, executive branch or some underling in some bureaucracy,'' said Allen, who appeared with Reed on ''Fox News Sunday.''

According to court documents disclosed last week, Libby told a federal grand jury that he disclosed in July 2003 the contents of a classified National Intelligence Estimate as part of the Bush administration's defense of intelligence used to justify invading Iraq.

Fitzgerald said in the documents it was his understanding that ''Mr. Libby testified that he was authorized to disclose information about the NIE to the press by his superiors.''

The White House has refused to comment on the case.

''I think this calls into question in terms of Fitzgerald's investigation of the conduct of the vice president and others,'' Reed said. ''I think he has to look closely at their behavior.''

Allen expressed confidence in Fitzgerald, whom he called ''a very articulate, professional prosecutor.''

''And I think the facts will lead wherever they lead, and I think he will prosecute as appropriate,'' Allen said.

Libby, 55, was indicted on charges that he lied to FBI agents and the grand jury about how he learned CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity and when he told reporters. He is not charged with leaking classified information.

Hey - Jack Reed and George Allen called for an investigation into Cheney's actions in the CIA leak case?

That would be a "bipartisan" call for an investigation, wouldn't it?

Somebody alert Ed Henry of CNN and tell him.

Cuz' you know tomorrow Ed will be spinning the story as "Democrats are calling for an investigation while Republicans are insisting there's nothing there to investigate."

Cuz' that's how Ed Henry spins everything in Washington - it's always D vs. R.

Gee, I wonder if Ed Henry would ever consider going quail hunting with the vice preznit?