VP Shot Somebody While Hunting

Why is it the president or the VP's responsibility to report on the health of the injured lawyer hunter? Doesn't HIPPA prevent that sort of thing? Individual rights of the actual patient, who is not a member of the executive branch, overrule here I think. It's up to the laywer and his family to publicly release any information about his condition.

But it's interesting watching the press contort itself into all sorts of positions demanding for statements from the administration, demanding to know why they weren't first on the phone list, and how dare you send some flacky for us to interview.

The press is likely turning a lot of people off, people between the coasts, with this obsession. As long as Cheney didn't attempt to murder the guy, I've got no problems with treating this as a typical hunting accident. Alot of us here in 'middle' America have been hunting, or have friends and family who do it. They've ALL been sprayed with birdshot before.

At least it wasn't a duel, 'a la Aaron Burr.