Schadenfreud

When blogspot doesn't respond for a long time, must mean there's a lot of traffic. Anyway, the Dodger(s) remorses over the joking about this incident, which threatens a person's life. Nevertheless, it's hard not to think they are lying about something, tried to cover it up. The long wait most likely covers up some drinking. It sure seems unlikely that Whittington was 30 yards away. Which makes Cheney look worse.

Maureen Dowd seems the only reporter to get the details on the weapon.

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Feb. 15, 2006, 12:38AM
Whittington likely won't need surgery or long-term drugs for heart problem
It's safer to let pellet 'touching or imbedded' in his heart stay there, doctor says

By LEIGH HOPPER and MARK BABINECK
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

The irregular heartbeat suffered Tuesday by the 78-year-old lawyer shot by Vice President Dick Cheney — apparently caused by a birdshot pellet lodged in or next to his heart — likely will not require surgery or long-term medication, a Ben Taub trauma surgeon said.

"We see a shotgun wound almost once a week here," said Dr. Kenneth Mattox, chief of staff at Ben Taub General Hospital, one of Houston's leading trauma centers. "For a bullet the size of a birdshot pellet to create atrial fibrillation would be a little unusual. I'm not saying it didn't happen. Theoretically, it could happen."

Local pathologist Dr. Paul Radelat said several factors determine how much damage birdshot can do. Those include whether the shell's load was standard or high-powered Magnum, the size of the pellets, how much clothing the victim wore and whether the barrel was "choked full" for a narrow spray or allowed to emit a wider, more dispersed cloud of metal.

"All those kinds of things are relevant," said Radelat, who said he was surprised to hear of Whittington's medical problems Tuesday based on what has been reported about the wounds. "If they all add up — small shot, full choke, Magnum load — then maybe that could have happened."