From the February 2006 Idaho Observer:

What next?

Dick Cheney has the distinction of being the second vice-president to be involved in a shooting incident while in office. The first was in 1804 when vice-President Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. The media has taken this opportunity to declare open season on Cheney’s use of public funds for personal reasons and other abuses of privilege. If the shooting of hunting partner Harry Whittington (78) was an accident as claimed by the White House, then the media should be ashamed to use this unfortunate situation as a means to disparage the vice-president. But rather than receiving the simple explanation that generally describes such accidents, the situation is taking on the boilerplate characteristics of yet another Bush administration scandal and coverup.

It also appears that the Plame investigation that netted an indictment for Cheney’s former Chief of Staff I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby may expand to Cheney. Libby reportedly testified before a grand jury that Cheney had "authorized" him to disclose classified information to journalists in defense of the Bush administration’s use of (since discredited) prewar intelligence used to justify the invasion of Iraq.

"The troubles for vice-President Cheney may just be beginning," commented ABC Nightline’s Chris Bury Feb. 14, 2006.

For those of us who understand that the major network media only publishes or reports stories that have been authorized by those who mold public opinion, we must be suspicious of the many stories being circulated to create the impression that the Republican cabal running the national government is hopelessly corrupt.

It is customary for the media to boost the image of our leaders during wartime so that the nation will rally behind the cause of war. That the major network media has been instructed to lower public opinion of the Bush administration at this time—no matter how well deserved—is cause for alarm.

Note: Since publication of the hardcopy edition, we have discovered that Cheney was probably drunk at the time and the delay in reporting of the event or an investigation by police gave time for the hunting party to sober up.