You can't make this shit up...

Vice President Dick Cheney shot a man this past Saturday in what was called a "hunting accident." Supposedly, Cheney was hunting quail on a private ranch in Texas with a friend, Texas millionaire attorney Harry Whittington, when Cheney supposedly misfired and sprayed Whittington with shotgun pellets in the face and chest. The 78-year-old Whittington is said to be in stable condition after having spent time in intensive care. Cheney was hustled back to DC, and, as of Monday morning, has offered no comment.

I'll leave the issue of why it took nearly 24 hours for news of this shooting to be released to other, more conspiracy-minded bloggers. It's kinda fishy, though. Basically, had reporters not asked questions regarding the shooting, based on info they'd received, the White House would presumably have maintained their stonewall. And the only witness account so far seems to twist itself in knots trying to make Cheney appear blameless. Hmmm.

No, I'm not here to speculate. I'm here to take shots myself. You know, jokes. Anti-gun advocate James Brady weighed in first. Yesterday, Brady said: "Now I understand why Dick Cheney keeps asking me to go hunting with him. I had a friend once who accidentally shot pellets into his dog - and I thought he was an idiot." God, I love Jim Brady.

With respect to Mr. Whittington, who I hope makes a full recovery, here are my first few passes at jokes on this story. Give me a call, John Stewart. You need a few Black faces on your show.

- Cheney shot a guy this weekend. I guess pulling the wings off flies and drowning puppies just isn't good enough anymore.

- If he was THAT close a friend to Dick Cheney, he probably deserved to be shot.

And my personal favorite:
- Dammit. And on the one day that Bush ISN'T on vacation!