Is That Legal?

I think the hunting accident is really just a case of the Vice President aiming at the wrong target. (See also: Iraq & Osama Bin Laden.)

I wonder how many "winky drinks" Cheney had before blasting away at "them peace lovin'" doves?

"You just stand there lookin' cute...."
(sorry, it's been going through my head)

I can't imagine what the Secret Service folks' blood pressure must be like on these outings.

My other first thought is that it's kind of sad when someone who knows everything they do is under a microscope can't bother to take elementary precautions against dumb, dangerous behavior.

Why does he endanger himself routinely?
For the good of the country. It just proves he's really a patriot after all.

I think this is an overblown issue. Should top government officials be expected to consider the safety of their pastimes? It's silly to try and dictate another person's life like that, regardless of what they do for a living. If a doctor dies skydiving, will his patients suffer? Only for the very near short-term. More like an inconvenience really. If the president crashes his bike and sustains a severe brain injury, would the people suffer? Aside from the temporary turmoil, not really.

I won't get flustered by a non-issue. People are replaceable; it's a constitutional thing.

I say, Let them play.

Do I like Dick Cheney? Not even a little bit. But I can see how this can turn into one of those silly arguments we wouldn't make but for the people involved.

David, I disagree with you. During their 4 (or 8) years in office, their lives are not merely their own. I think that the President and Vice President have an obligation of some sort to keep themselves out of harm's way. Indeed, we spend a lot of money--and Secret Service agents risk their lives--to keep them out of harm's way. I think it's noteworthy, and irresponsible, for them to endanger themselves in such obvious ways.

Eric, expanding on your argument, do you feel that Cheney has any special responsibilities given his health history? I would suspect that he has a much higher than average likelihood for a man of his age of dying or becoming incapacitated.

How does responsibility for managing his health-based risks compare with responsibility for managing the risks of hanging out with people who use shotguns? Since the impact of death by shotgun or heart disease is the same for the governed, should we demand health requirements to reduce the risk of unexpectedly losing our leaders?

Frank, one thing we learned from this episode that we didn't already know is that the VP in fact does take such precuations. Everywhere he goes, he has an ambulance and a medical staff in tow. That's a good thing, I think; I was glad to hear it.

Why does Cheney do anything?

Three choices: (1) he's a macho a**hole who took 5 military deferments during the Vietnam war because, he said, he had "more important things to do"; (2) he's not a macho a**hole, just an arrogant p*ick who gets off shooting at birds raised in a cage to make himself feel like a real man -- the better to talk tough at GOP fundraisers; (3) he likes to drink heavy and then put other people in harm's way.

Don't forget.

Stuff happens. Move on.

Eric, it has always been my understanding that the Pres and VP have ambulances and such immediately available at all times. One never knows when one of our leaders might succumb to a rabbit attack or a pretzel.

Regardless, Cheney is a cardio train wreck and has been since he was in his 30's. What I was getting at is the question of how far he should go to protect us from his sudden demise. If he is irresponsible for hunting, is he not also irresponsible for serving in an important office given his health status? After all, the odds of a man his age in his health dying from coronary disease (even with an ambulance and medical team 100 feet away)are probably higher than the odds that he will be killed after getting "peppered" by a friend while hunting.

Incidentally, being "peppered" has been passed off as some sort of annoyance (like having a pigeon crap on you). Apparently, Dick's lawyer friend had a mild heart attack after a pellet from the "peppering" lodged in his heart.

> "You just stand there lookin' cute...."

"And when something moves... you shoot."

What do I win?

Well, K, you win my admiration: I've been waiting for anyone else to get that joke for days. None of my favorite satire shows have made the connection, either. Where's Dr. Demento when you need him?

Good joke. I wonder how shooting can be that easy.