Quailgate

These press corps tizzies are always fun to watch, aren't they?

The New York Times has already broken out the Watergate lingo:

[Presidential spokesman Scott] McClellan was questioned intensely by the White House press corps today about why the White House never released the information itself and why it was left to a private citizen to report to the world that the vice president of the United States had been involved in a shooting.

They also seemed frustrated that Mr. McClellan could not tell them at the briefing exactly when Mr. Bush learned that the vice president himself had shot Mr. Whittington.

Later in the afternoon, after the briefing, the White House put out a statement providing details about what the president knew and when.

Alabama's own Anniston (Red) Star has joined in the hysteria:

...not informing the public of an incident where the vice president shot and wounded a hunting partner is inexcusable. [Me: Yes, not informing the public would be inexcusable...but, the public was informed, as the (Red) Star acknowledges in the very next sentence.] The victim, a lawyer from Texas, had been in the hospital nearly a full day before news reports surfaced. [Me: Actually, it was only about 18 hours (18/24 = 3/4...some hard arithmetic there, huh?) from the time of the shooting until the local press was informed, according to various news reports I've seen.] Even then, the news came from the owner of the property where Cheney was hunting and not from the White House. [Me: So, the (Red) Star is bellyaching that the information came from someone who observed the shooting first-hand. Do they think that a second- or third-hand account by the White House would have been more accurate?]

Now, don't get me wrong...I do think that this could have been handled better. Next time the Veep goes hunting, the administration should insist that members of the White House press corps tag along.