Now that the jokes have died down and speculation about an indictment of Cheney for attempted murder has dissipated, here’s the reason it was important to report on the shooting promptly.

You might not have guessed, but I’m not a big fan of Vice President Dick. And I do believe that he has a right to a private life. The media did not need to be stalking him on a hunting trip.

However, once the shooting occurred, Vice President Dick accompanied his friend to the hospital. Despite his secretiveness, his face is well known. Dozens of people at the hospital would have seen him – even if he was secluded in the intensive care unit. Someone was likely to call the local paper to say they just saw Cheney in the hospital. With his history of heart disease, the conclusion could be that it was Cheney, not his friend, in intensive care.

Cheney’s excuse that he wanted an accurate report to be issued before releasing any information is ridiculous. A simple statement that said, “The Vice President accompanied a friend who was injured in a hunting accident to Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial. More information will be released later.”


The purpose is to avoid speculation that could send the world into a frenzy if it were, indeed, the Vice President who was hospitalized in critical condition. And it would have avoided speculation of a cover-up.

But the jokes would have still been there.