TV joke writers take shots at Cheney
anyone want to take bets on what a the opening skit on SNL will be this week?

This is toooo easy.

In my day, comedy writers had to work hard to find humerous situations involving politicians.

Ah Mal, Mal, Mal......

How fucking sad. I'm sure if it were any of them at 78 being shot they wouldn't be so glib about it.

This is my party?????? WTF

I want cold and callous I'll join the GOP...... yet I can see what sort of compassion my party has.

Where does a truly compassionate and caring man turn these days to find a political party that truly turns the other cheek, prays for his enemies and hopes a 78 yr. old man has a truly speedy and safe recovery?

I expect the late night people to mock this because as seen on this board, people find this funny, so sad.

ah -- so THAT'S why i'm cold.. I had no idea it was because i was a republican... I really just thought it was because I was a bitch - learn something new every day.. :)

NOw that is harmless humor. :lol:

I think this is harmless humour. Nobody seriously thinks Cheney, orney and cantankerous as he may be, was out to gun somebody down, the guy has some superficial wounds - he'll get better, and Cheney hates the press and wanted to avoid being the target of the Sabbath gasbags, so he sat on the event for 19 hours.

It's reminiscent of Carter's attack rabbit fishing episode.

I think Ferguson's lawyer jokes were a bit tasteless, but that's why he's on a show nobody watches. The other jokes poked fun at Cheney and the administration's foibles.

This should be good instructions for politicians: If you pursue a sporting life, don't hunt - you look stupid in the cammy and you may accidently shoot somebody, don't fish - you may fall in, don't ski - you'll Ford yourself, don't mountain bike or even ride a segue. If you have to do something, jog. And wear decent length shorts.

ok - maybe not so funny...

BREAKING NEWS

Man shot and wounded by Vice President Cheney suffers "minor heart attack" after birdshot becomes lodged in his heart, hospital spokesman says.

(no story yet on CNN or Google News)

Well then, I have to take it all back.

Hunter shot by Cheney has 'minor heart attack'
/me waits for the obligatory jokes about the lawyer having a heart :)

Accidental or not, if that person dies, it's considered manslaughter.

Accidental or not, any other person would be locked up right now.

It doesn't matter if you're Liberal or Conservative, you have to at least acknowledge that he's acting (and being treated) above the law. Anything else would be ... arguing just for the sake of arguing.

No, he didn't do anything criminal, but intent doesn't matter in every single other case. For example, you could be driving and have your tire blow out.. if you plow into someone and kill them, you aren't gonna head on home with an "oh well, it was an accident." You'd still more than likely serve time for it (which I think is utterly stupid.. you shouldn't serve time for an accident).

It's just boils down to the fact if it was anyone else, they wouldn't be walking free right now.

THe secret service said "Mr Vice President! There's quail in the bush!"

Cheney heard, "Mr. Vice President! There's Bush!"

So he fired... :lol:

That highlighted part I agree with 110%, in fact your whole post I agree with.

If it had been anyone on this board we'd be sitting in a jail cell or out on bail, waiting for the DA to determine whether he wanted to pursue a case.

The humor I do not and find it abhorishly juvenile.

What is wrong with making light of a not so good situation... Humor is a coping mechanism for a lot of people.. .heck I know customers and colleagues like having me around because I can find humor in practically any situation... The person who got shot isn't being laughed at -- the situation is absurd... absurd situations bring humor..

But, but, but it was FUCKING harmless!!!!!!!!! And the FUCKING Right who played it off as it was nothing also, just to protect their VP.

What a sense of compassion, I'm sorry but someone is shot and it's harmless humor?

Sometimes people truly disgust me.

Humor in light of something that happens and you have to release is one thing.

But come on, the only reason people are making light of this is to take digs at the VP. If this hadn't been the VP, most of these people and none of the late night hosts would be joking about it.

How is someone ANYONE being shot in the face and chest absurd? Why because the man who did the shooting is the VP? Or because the man shot is a GOP lawyer? Where's humor?

Was it a Jerry Lewis Dean Martin routine? Maybe a 3 Stooges? I truly see no humor. I see partisanship on both sides and I don't see 1 person saying they hope the man is ok.

Put the freaking partisanship away and realize this is a 78 yr old man.

I guarantee 99% of the people who laugh now and have been laughing, if this had happened to them they wouldn't find humor in it.

Jesus, he's a 78 yr old man. Where's the concern for him? Where's the compassion for him?

It's a human being and he was shot in the face and chest and people are finding it humorous or working hard to say, "Oh it's nothing".

Again, let's go hunting and let me shoot you like that and let's see the humor in all of it.

It's not about being self righteous and pious..... IT's about maintaining my dignity and beliefs in caring about another human being.

Pan... if it was anyone else who had done this, I find it highly unlikely that any of us would even be talking about it...

The only reason it is newsworthy, the only reason it is even remotely funny is simply because it was the VP of the US that did it.


Tragedy is the wellspring of comedy. Political tragedy only moreso. If pressed, most would agree that they are concerned for the wellfare of anyone who has been shot. The fact that this guy seems to be in stable condition seems to say that, he's going to be OK. These sorts of accidents happen all the time. I'm not going to lose sleep over it.


Besides, the VP doesn't need to be in jail. If the DA needs to find him, he know where to go. It isn't like Cheney can dissappear without a trace.

It doesn't matter if he "needs" to be in jail.

If you or I are required to serve time until we either post bail or have charges cleared, why isn't he? Technically his charges were cleared, but it was premature. It wouldn't have been done otherwise. If this guy dies, it's a crime.

Under the constitution, he's not allowed to be above the law in such a manner.

That's my main issue with all of this. It's easy to say "Oh, people are just saying this because it's the Bush administration," but I'd expect there to be just as much uproar if a Dem were to be in the same situation and allowed to walk free (or be treated higher) than everyone else.

Either change the law to ignore "accidents", or follow through with the same treatment others have to go through!

Hysterically funny..... and while the people laugh Cheney walks away scot free.

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/us/bush_administration

Clinton gets trashed in every way and tried for lying about a very private affair.

Cheney shoots a 78 yr. old man and walks away scot free. While people tell "harmless jokes".

That's justice man.

all accidental deaths are NOT considered manslaughter.

If you have a blow out, hit a bus and kill 12 students, and its determined that the blowout was caused by debris in the road, you are not at fault. If the blow out was caused because you had the same tire on the car when you bought it in in 1972, THEN you're guilty of manslaughter.

who cares?? I mean seriously, are our lives so meaningless that this matters? If it was just some locals down in Texas this wouldn't even be news.

Hey here's a newsflash...don't walk behind someone carrying a loaded shotgun and is hunting for skittish birds.

BTW-Clinton lied under oath, perjured himself if you will, Cheney hasn't gotten that far. Make no mistake, I don't like any of them, but let's really look at what happened. Most people that commit perjury go to jail. All he got was a tongue lashing :) (pun intended).

BIG difference between a blowout and firing a gun.

One you have CONTROL of and the other you don't. Or are people now going to say, "well when hunting it's up to the other person to acknowledge his presence before the shot.... because it's shoot before making sure the line of fire is clear"?

Um, I think that would qualify for Criminal Negligence causing Death.

If you told your friends that you hoped one day that your tire would blow, causing someone to die, then your intent was to cause harm; I think THAT would be manslaughter (ben is not a lawyer).

Relax. How long did Clinton get beat up before he was finally impeached? It was months and months.

How long has it been since this accident happened... four days (if that). The system doesn't work like that. The man isn't above the law, if there is a reason to arrest him, they will.

I see no reason at this point to be especially partisan about it.


Given the change in Whittington's status to intensive care and the heart attack, I think you will see a change in tone with the Late Night comedy. Previous reports said he was doing fine.

yeah......no

If it had been me that he shot, given the circumstance and damage done, I would have called him a major league asshole who couldn't aim for shit. And then I would thank him for being such a medical disaster waiting to happen that he has to keep a M*A*S*H* unit on hand.

If anybody else had made this shot? They would not be in jail. This happens with regularity and most often the people involved aren't charged with anything.

Go figure a 78 yr. old shot in the face and chest not as harmless as was previously reported.

The partisanship started with the humor. Then the Right had to work so freaking hard to defend the man. The whole issue is partisan.

And my gut tells me if Cheney had shot a Dem. those laughing would be taking it far more seriously and sparking up all kinds of paranoid conspiracy threats.

Jesus, he must have been hit bad to get pellets into his bloodstream and now into his heart...

You would think that with the high quality healthcare you guys have, a simple x-ray would have shown all of the pellets remaining, and then quickly removed by a crack team of surgeons.

HOLD ON.

I was making a very funny joke about how all of our discussions are partisan and quickly jump from heated topic to heated topic.

I WAS KIDDING. Please see the humour. I hope this old, rich, bald white guy makes a speedy recovery.

It could have gone either way regarding his health.

Are you suggesting the Leno, Letterman and Stewart (among others) are shills for the Republicans? They make their living telling jokes. Like I said, tragedy is the wellspring of comedy. This was a stupid accident. Cheney has a "tough guy" persona... humour falls naturally from this situation.

Anyone can see there is some major spinning being done by the Republicans. Why wouldn't they try to spin? Any politician in this situation would spin.

There are some fishy details about his leaving, when it was reported, etc. For all intents and purposes it looks like it was an accident. I am certain it will be investigated. If it is anything but an accident, it will come out.

If Cheney had shot a Dem, the first question would be, "why was he hanging out with a dem in the first place?"

This is, until something different comes up, nothing more troubling than Bush falling off his bike or choking on a pretzel. It shows that Cheney is human and can fuck up just like anyone else.

The fact that he shot his friend and his friend may die makes the story all the more tragic. I think you will see that if Whittington's status goes from worse to death the tone of the story will follow appropriately. Prior to this, he was an old guy that took a couple pieces of buckshot. Now it is starting to look more serious.

Give the story time to develop.

HEY! I don't think he was bald.

This is how rumours start.

I give up..... I just guess I lack a sense of humor or justice.

78 yr. old GOP donor gets shot in the face, neck and chest by the VP = hysterically funny

Said shooter waits 18 hours before reporting it and has no legal consequences besides a $7 hunting stamp (also charged to the one who was shot) = legal... oops an accident, person needs to warn a shooter he's in the line of fire before the shooter makes sure the field of fire is clear.

So sorry to have been such a wet blanket to the partisan party going on.

To Mr. Whittington, sir I truly hope you recover fast and healthily. May God be with you.

Because Poppinjay and I have been such historical supporters of the Republican party.

What you are seeing is people saying they understand that accidents happen. They are agreeing that there is something odd about Cheney's actions. That they are as understandable as say, someone lying about his affair.

It isn't a huge deal until it is. At present it is a accidental tragedy that could have happened to anyone.

So, what we know now is this guy got the full shot. He was embedded with more than 200 of the 300 balls in the shot. Some of which penetrated through his ribcage into or against his heart.

Considering the % of balls he caught and the penetration, this was about a 20 foot shot right in this guys face and upper body.

OUCH.

Add to this the sheriffs report that they scheduled an interview with the Veep 14 hours after the event, and when a deputy came to take a statement much earlier than that, he was turned away.

For an event, a serious event like this. Noone keeps the law enforcement away from doing their job. Especially since Cheney was on leisure time he had no right to deny full access.

And it's his own fault that rumors of him being liquored up are going to spread like wildfire.
If this guy dies, I expect manslaughter and Obstruction of Justice charges to be filed against Cheney and O of J charges against the acting head of SS for the Veep, and dereliction of duty against the Sheriff.

Don't you mean at any other time -right now we are at war and "Special Rules" apply.


See my comment on tilted paranoia. BTW when he dies I get prediction points from y'all.

maybe you've never gone group hunting before but its a 50/50 thing. If you start in a group and then someone seperates themself, the remainder assumes he's gone until he tells you he's shown back up. It goes along the same lines as 'I'm walking the left, you're walking the right. we keep abreast and we'll be alright'. once you break that up, its up to both parties to ensure that they know where each other is at.

also, like someone else said before, if this was two locals involved, nobody would really give a damn. It's only news because its the VP. Remove that aspect of this and we'd only be talking about it being an accident.

Wow, I hadn't heard. If I was that deputy, I would have got my chief involved Right-Fucking-Now, and backed off to let the big dogs fight. How is this guy supposed to go against the Secret Service?
Ummmm, I think there is an element of priveledge that comes with political rank.
"Who are you?"
"I am the Vice-President of the United States of America."
"Never heard of ya. Back of the line, pal."

Is it right, in a democracy, to treat people with priveledge? No, of course not. I should be afforded the same treatment as the VP. Does it happen? You bet your ass it does. Hell, I don't think Jennifer Anniston or Paris Hilton have got a parking or speeding ticket in a decade.

I hadn't thought about the different charges that could be filed, but to mention it, you are probably pretty close. I would not give the Sheriff too hard a time, but would come down double hard on the Secret Service on this. Can you imagine what went through the SS close protection guys minds when this shit went down? It would be like watching some twisted independent film.

Absolutely correct.
I think, though, that the concerns expressed by several members, and I have to question myself, is not so much that it happened (Hey, shit happens), but rather the secrecy involved afterword.
Did the VeeP suck down one too many Wild Turkey's before taking to the field? Was he under the influence? Well...maybe. We'll never know, now. But, if he wasn't, I would think that he'd want that fact to be made very clear, from the onset. Why was the sheriff's deputies turned away? That's not really an option available to "two locals". Now, perhaps he doesn't necessarily need to spend the night as a "guest" of the county, like Cletus or Jethro, but to postpone any investigation? No...it smells like last weeks tuna cassarole, to me.
Yes. Accidents do happen, and it sucks when they do. There does, however, need to be accountability, if not a reckoning. I think that's pretty basic.

i thought it was really funny until the guy had a heart attack. I still think though it would be funny if dick cheney blew me away with bird shot.

i mean its an accident, whatever dick cheney is, he's not going on a tri state serial killing rampage from all this.

He'll let the military do it for him from now on. Live and learn, its what life is all about.