Is anyone other than me losing sleep at night, worried that we have a vice president who is too deaf and blind to hear or see the difference between a quail and his 78-year-old hunting companion?
Worse than a lack of sleep, is my recurring nightmare related to the terrible fact that we have a president who is too dumb to realize that when the vice president of the United States accidentally shoots someone with a 28-gauge shotgun, the press might want to report the facts, and the nation might want to know about it.
Unfortunately, it's hard to teach an old dog and his master new tricks. Staying true to character, Bush and Cheney chose secrecy and denial over truth and accountability.
What followed the shooting was a weeklong testament to the mismanagement and lack of communication that plagues the relationship between the nation's top two leaders.
From misleading the public on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction to pretending they were not notified in enough time to help Hurricane Katrina victims, the problem with the Bush administration boils down to their belief that they are entitled to deceive the nation if it is in their best interest.
Cheney chose to wait almost 24 hours before releasing the shooting information to the press.
To make matters worse, he bypassed White House press secretary Scott McClellan, who wasn't briefed until the morning after the accident, and instead allowed Katharine Armstrong, owner of the ranch where this all took place, to release the news to a Corpus Christi reporter.
Initially, Armstrong, spinning lies for the vice president, blamed Whittington for the accident.
She joked that her friend Harry was recovering just fine from an unfortunate accident in which he "got peppered good."
By the time McClellan addressed the press Monday morning, he had little choice other than to follow the light-hearted approach chosen by Cheney. Unfortunately, he didn't know that Whittington's "peppering" would turn into a mild heart attack.
It's clear Cheney feels he doesn't need to report to the White House staff. What's more problematic, given that it was Monday before Cheney spoke to Bush, is the lack of communication between the two.
A barrage of questions surrounding Cheney's secrecy in regards to his responsibility in the shooting -- whether alcohol was involved and why neither hunter had an appropriate hunting license -- finally put an end to the vice president's four-day silence.
Cheney addressed questions in an interview with FOX News. But politicians continued to discuss the broader implications of the incident.
Even Bush's new best friend, Bill Clinton, got in on the thrashing. "I think the White House should have said something about it sooner," he said. "I think that it's gotten a little more light than it would have because the administration has an enormous penchant for secrecy."
The secrets and deceptions are typical Bush and Cheney. Unfortunately for Whittington and the administration, neither was able to dodge the bullet this time.
The fact is that we have about 1,000 days left living under an administration that is run by a dummy dictator for a president, who is so out of touch with reality that he can't even keep track of his own vice president.
Not to mention that Mr. Second in Charge is so senile that he can't prevent an accidental shooting from turning into a White House casualty.
Trust me, there will be many more mishaps and mishandled affairs. Misfired shotguns will be the least of our country's problems.
So if you are planning on a worriless night's sleep anytime in the near future, I suggest you call your doctor for a prescription of 1,000 days worth of sleeping pills.
Dianna is a graduate student. Reach her at dianna.nanez@asu.edu.
