Shooting: Cheney ducks public

2006-02-15 09:34

Washington- United States vice-president Dick Cheney continued to keep a low profile on Wednesday as his shooting of a hunting partner recently and the White House's handling of the incident mushroomed into a political controversy.

According to the vice-president's office - Cheney - who had yet to express regret publicly for wounding 78-year-old Texas lawyer Harry Whittington in the neck, chest and face - called him in his hospital room on Tuesday to offer help and best wishes.

Doctors blamed birdshot that shifted to Whittington's heart for a mild heart attack he had on Tuesday, and said that while his life was not in immediate danger, and no surgery was needed to remove the lodged metal, he would have to stay in hospital another week.

Cheney should have 'reported the shooting'

Whittington had developed an irregular heartbeat, which could lead to the formation of blood clots that could cause a stroke if they move to the brain.

Cheney managed to duck a battalion of reporters staking out a meeting he had with lawmakers on Tuesday, and White House aides said he had no plans to come forward with his account of the incident.

Amid criticism of the White House for waiting to announce the shooting accident for nearly 21 hours, two former Republican presidential press secretaries said Cheney should have reported the incident to the public without delay.

Ari Fleischer, President George W Bush's first spokesperson, said: "It could have and should have been handled differently."

First public event

Marlin Fitzwater, who served as press secretary to Bush's father and to late former president Ronald Reagan, told the same publication he was "appalled" at how the administration had handled the incident.

The vice-president's office said that his first public event would be on Friday, in Cheyenne, Wyoming - but that he was not likely to explain how a quail hunt on the Texas ranch of Katharine Armstrong on Saturday nearly turned tragic.

Cheney's office had refused to provide an official account of the hunting incident, pointing reporters to Armstrong - a private citizen with no formal ties to the White House.

Priorities of US people

President Bush's chief spokesperson, Scott McClellan, served notice that there would be no official, formal White House account of how the incident occurred, even as he signalled impatience with questions about it.

The spokesperson said: "You all can spend your time on it. We're going to keep focusing on the pressing priorities of the American people, like talking about how to make health care more affordable and accessible."

McClellan, who learned of Whittington's heart attack just before his main daily briefing, declined to be drawn by questions about the nearly 21-hour gap between the incident and after it was made public, or why the news came from the ranch owner rather than official channels.

He said: "What happened has been explained."

- AFP