Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Cheney's Painful Apology

One of the silliest complaints I've been hearing from the right about the Cheney shooting story is that the press is making too big a deal over it; that it shouldn't have made national news. With due respect to the differences of opinion, are you shitting me? Get off it. One can't fail to wonder what these same complainers would be saying if Cindy Sheehan or John Kerry accidentally shot somebody. That they're still dragging out Chappaquidick and Kennedy, four decades after the fact, as some kind of defense of Cheney's current carelessness shows the paucity of that argument.

The number two man in our government shoots somebody, it's news. That's why they call them public figures. It would have been much smaller a story if he simply issued a statement immediately, didn't allow Matalin to blame the victim, and if Cheney had had the simple courtesy to get on the tube and apologize to the family for the tragic mistake. It wouldn't have made past two news cycles under those terms.

But Cheney had his own plan, going against the advice of his peers in the White House and delayed not only the statement, but waited four days to take responsibility and say he was sorry. No doubt he was waiting for the public opinion analysis before he decided whether he needed to account for his actions or if he could just slip away in the fog of scandals that's always wrapped around this White House.

And of course it was very useful in deflecting attention from his bigger troubles. Now the reporters are asking him about this tragic accident instead of his orders to Scooter Libby to breach national security by disclosing the contents of NIE briefing papers to the press.
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3 Comments:

Blogger Yukkione said...

By going on the Fox network for a canned interview. Cheney avoided any questions about the Plame case. Nice move Dick.

9:18:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dick indeed...LOL

Well I'll give Cheney one thing if nothing else - he's consistent. This administration has not exactly been the poster child for admiting its faults and shortcomings and attempting to make amends and - God forbid - restitution for their failings.

Waiting this long to admit his errors is just insulting to the man he shot (who's name escapes me - it's been a long day...) and completely devoid of any sincerity.

In for a penny, in for a pound apparently...

(Sorry I let that round table fall along the wayside, I've read through your post but haven't had the mental downtime to consider a response.)

Great blogging as always Lib :)

6:34:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hume actually asked him about it but he sidestepped it of course and then went on to say how much damage was done by the leaker of the NSA story.

9:46:00 AM  

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