From the Boston Globe - “A Chappaquiddick comparison”:
Vice President Cheney's delay in reporting last week's hunting accident to the public drew comparisons from commentators to Senator Edward M. Kennedy's delay in reporting his 1969 Chappaquiddick car accident to the police. The outlines of that event by now are part of political legend: Capitol Hill secretary Mary Jo Kopechne was inside Kennedy's car when it tumbled off a narrow bridge and into the water. Kennedy waited eight hours to contact police, an action he later described as ''indefensible" and prompted by ''panic, confusion, and shock." The tragedy, along with speculation that Kopechne might have lived had Kennedy reported the accident earlier, has seeded a thriving industry of Ted Kennedy haters.Classic. How's this for a bumper sticker: "Nobody expired when Cheney retired." Or maybe: "Nobody passed away when Cheney delayed."
While no one died in the Cheney accident -- Harry Whittington was whisked to the hospital and the local police were called -- at least one TV talking head dubbed the affair ''Cheney's Chappaquiddick." Both incidents, wrote Washington Post columnist David Ignatius, illustrate ''how wealthy, powerful people can behave as if they are above the law."
When asked for a comment on Cheney's handling of the incident, Kennedy's office issued this statement: ''Whether it's covering up the absence of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] in Iraq, clandestine energy meetings with oil executives, or failing to own up to who was involved in the Plame case, this is the most secretive White House since the Nixon administration. The way they handled the vice president's shooting accident has only bolstered their cover-up reputation. This time it didn't work."
Asked about comparisons to Chappaquiddick, Kennedy spokeswoman Laura Capps would say only this: ''The White House is in crisis, and rule number one is to try to defuse a scandal by dragging others into it. But these campaign tactics aren't going to work and won't cover up their six-year record of abusing power and hiding the truth."
Update - Yeah, what he said.
9 comments:
you people just don't get it! Kennedy exonerated himself years ago with his confession, "I wouldn't have done what I may or may not have done had it not been caused by panic, confusion, and shock. And the fact that there were no witnesses."
there is no point in trying to compare the indefensible crime Cheney committed to the unfortunately tragedy of Teddy, because Cheney is not now, nor ever will be a Kennedy!
And Ted Kennedy in 1969 had evinced a 5-year history of secret meetings, illegal policy, persistent unavailability and undisclosed locations, and a distaste for defending his actions. FANTASTIC parallel.
Not to mention that team of paramedics riding across the bridge in Kennedy's backseat. And the fact that Kennedy, a sitting Vice President, said in a sitdown interview with the Camelot News Channel that he did the right thing. Remember when Kennedy's boss Richard Nixon said he was totally satisfied with Kennedy's explanation?
Or is the logic here that because rich and powerful Ted Kennedy showed himself to be a scumbag, that the GOP have been entitled to a high-profile makeup call? Ah, values.
While Ted Kennedy's accident was far worse, it also torpedoed his chance for the White House. That's not enough of a penalty, but it is a real one. What political price will Dick Cheney pay for his negligence and instant blue wall of silence?
It's pretty funny to see so many people who think we need to be "moving on" from Birdshotgate invoking Chappaquiddick.
It's also very funny to see supporters of the administration that handled Katrina convince themselves that a measly one drowned body is the ultimate trump card.
Anonymous, your comments consistently have one of the highest BS-to-word ratios I've ever seen (and most of them are just vitriol and ridicule, not really worth replying to).
Allow me to point out some of the defects in your comments:
1) Chappaquiddick and birdshotgate are not the same thing: in the first cast, someone died; in the second case, there was an injury accident. Cheney took complete responsibility, even though he didn't have to, and the victim said there are no hard feelings.
2) Hurricane relief is primarily a local and state responsibility, not exclusively the responsibility of the feds. Notwithstanding, federal heads rolled and Bush accepted responsibility. The deaths from Katrina were the result of a natural disaster, not murder. Also, you appear to be referring to Mary Jo Kopechne as a "measly one drowned body".
3) Cheney did not create an "instant blue wall of silence", whatever that means. The private hunting party took immediate care of Mr. Whittington after the late afternoon incident, then advised a local paper of it first-thing the next morning. They just didn't go public in a way that met your approval (which would have been impossible anyway).
I could keep mining through the nonsense in your post, but why bother?
...federal heads rolled and Bush accepted responsibility
HA HA HA HA HAAAA!!!!
...advised a local paper of it first-thing the next morning
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAA!!!
Cheney took complete responsibility, even though he didn't have to...
I think we have concluded here that Cheney was not in the least negligent either...
AHHHH HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA!!! Scott McClellan, look out! Somebody's after your job!
And besides, a grand jury failed to indict Kennedy, which by definition means he must have been totally exonerated. (That is, if I'm reading recent years' blogospin on Republican scandals correctly... I'll have a blue, blue, blue, blue Fitzmas without Rove...)
Too bad Dubai wasn't overseeing water security on Chappaquiddick.
From this week's Ward Sutton cartoon:
"Out of selfless respect for the Whittington family, Cheney keeps the shooting a secret for about the time it would take alcohol to leave a guy's bloodstream."
"Sunday: The shooting is announced to local press. The identities of the other hunters, like that attractive blonde ambassador who was hunting by Cheney's side since his wife couldn't make the trip, are kept discreetly hidden, as Cheney cites 'executive privilege'."
Cheney as Elmer Fudd: "Be vewy, vewy quiet... for 18 hours!"
keep trying, Anon.. I'm sure eventually somebody out there will believe at least a little of your blather
btw, does anyone remember the situation where Hillary Clinton ordered her limo driver to ignore a security gate (at an airport, I believe) and the car injured the guard as it flew by at 50 mph? It was in the news for about.. oh, an hour.. while the injury wasn't deliberate, the action was.. unlike Cheney's incident
so why are we talking about a hunting accident that happened over a week ago?
I'm sure eventually somebody out there will believe at least a little of (Anon's) blather
Eventually? Like, last week?
A Time Magazine poll found two-thirds of Americans think Cheney should have come forward immediately (including half of Republicans), two-fifths think Cheney waited because he was hiding something, 60% think he's too secretive in general, and 70% disapprove of his overall performance in office. Does that qualify as "at least a little"?
so why are we talking about a hunting accident that happened over a week ago?
Right on, baby! Let's talk about important issues affecting our nation's future...... like Chappaquiddick!
you're absolutely right, wvwv.. whatever your point was.. I'm definitely not going to vote for Cheney when he doesn't run for President in '08!
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