In a rare briefing session on Monday, the Spokesman Scott McClellan had to fend off at least 65 questions on not only on the specifics of the hunting accident and the "friendly fire" but also on the manner in which the White House and the Vice President's staff handled information parts of the media and the public's right to know what had happened.
There were questions as well on any criminal wrong doing on the part of the vice president and what would have been the situation if the hunting partner had been shot dead instead.
McClellan insisted that the time gap between the incident and its confirmation by the White House was due to a focus on getting Whittington the medical care he needed, adding details about the shooting were trickling in throughout the night and the White House needed "to get the facts together."
Cheney's hunting companion Harry Whittington took pellets in his cheek, neck and chest from the Vice President's shotgun in Texas and was admitted to a local medical facility intensive care.
The incident took place on Saturday but was not reported by the Vice President's office until Sunday afternoon and not before a local newspaper ran the story.
The shooting was reported by ranch owner Katherine Armstrong who told a local newspaper of Cheney missing his quail quarry.
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