NEW DETAIL: ‘He Was Shot in the Heart’
15 February 2006 5:07 pm by Taylor Marsh
Q On another subject, court filings have indicated
that Scooter Libby has suggested that his superiors — unidentified — authorized
the release of some classified information. What do you know about that?THE VICE PRESIDENT: It's nothing I can talk about,
Brit. This is an issue that's been under investigation for a couple of years.
I've cooperated fully, including being interviewed, as well, by a special
prosecutor. All of it is now going to trial. Scooter is entitled to the presumption
of innocence. He's a great guy. I've worked with him for a long time, have
enormous regard for him. I may well be called as a witness at some
point in the case and it's, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on
any facet of the case.Q Let me ask you another question. Is it your
view that a Vice President has the authority to declassify information?THE VICE PRESIDENT: There is an executive order
to that effect.Q There is.
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yes.
Q Have you done it?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I've certainly advocated
declassification and participated in declassification decisions. The executive
order –Q You ever done it unilaterally?
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I don't want to get into
that. There is an executive order that specifies who has classification authority,
and obviously focuses first and foremost on the President, but also includes
the Vice President.
I thought the witness info was news, even though Cheney's under no
obligation to keep quiet, that's a personal decision.
But when I first heard the parts in bold I did a Jon Stewart Wha?
What executive order? I'm not the only one.
We knew he had a lot of power, but it really looks like we got two for the price
of one on this one, or maybe we just have one person really running things, Dick Cheney.
Then earlier, Dr. Bernadine Healy was on “Hardball”
giving out some medical info, which doesn't exactly advance Dick's alibi. That's
what it was today, you know, his alibi for what went down, why it took so long
to get what went down out and exactly who knew what when it did go down. First,
Healy said emphatically that the birdshot that went into Whittington had to
make it through several layers of clothing, a vest, shirt, etc. “That's a lot of power,”
the Dr. said. It is indeed, and we still think too much power for the “about 30 yards” away story.
We also learn today that Whittington might not have had a heart attack.
The account given yesterday by doctors
caring for the Texas lawyer accidentally shot by Vice President Dick Cheney
last weekend raises serious questions about how and when a pellet entered
his heart and what tests were done to establish where the pellet was lodged,
doctors not connected with his case said.Although the public was told for the first time yesterday
that a shotgun pellet from a hunting accident had lodged in the lawyer's heart,
one of his doctors said that “we knew that he had some birdshot
very close to the heart from the get-go,” but not its precise
location.
Dr. O. Wayne Isom, the chairman of heart and chest
surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, said it was unlikely that a pellet
would migrate to the heart through the bloodstream, as some have assumed from
the account of the Texas doctors.The reason, Dr. Isom said, is that the
pellet would have to enter a vein, travel to and through the lung vessels
that go to the heart, and then lodge in heart tissue, not in one of its chambers.
The pellets were approximately five millimeters, about the size of
a BB, and larger than most blood vessels, said Dr. David Blanchard,
director of emergency services at the hospital.
Account
of Doctors Raises Questions on Heart Injury
So, another question arises, which ties into the 30 yard detail.
As Dr. Healy says above, confirming some of our speculations, the bullet had
quite a speed as it entered Whittington. As Dr. Isom adds in the New York Times
article, the birdshot could not have traveled through a vein. In addition, the
doctors knew Whittington had birdshot “very close” to the heart from
the “get-go,” but did not know the exact location.
Suddenly, a “minor heart attack” occurs, according to
reports. But since the bullet didn't travel through a vein, was close to begin with without knowing how close, what Dr. Healy offers today applifies the suspicion that Whittington even had a mild heart attacked. Dr. Healy said quite emphatically, “He
was shot in the heart.” Healy also said today that “some reports”
state Whittington was also shot in the liver and lung.
Mr. Whittington's doctor's are understandably not talking, but
according to David Gregory, neither is the sheriff, and he's had crews down
there for days, but everyone has clammed up.
Today's podcast (also found here) is about the interview and the new facts still
dripping out. It will be out shortly.
