Petrelis Files

Silence From Mehlman, RNC on Cheney's Hunting Accident

It's been two days since the world learned of Veep Cheney's hunting accident in Texas and the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Harry Whittington.

With so many reporters and editorial writers, political pundits, average citizens and late night TV hosts opining on the incident, two important political components have been uncharacteristically silent on the affair-- the Republican National Committee and its leader, the deeply closeted Ken Mehlman.

I find it odd Mehlman and the RNC haven't said anything yet on their web site about the accident, how the Veep and the White House handled (withholding) information about the shooting, and the ensuing demands for real answers about it all.

Have Mehlman and the GOP lost their political playbook? Seems to me at this point they should be blaming the fiasco on gays in San Francisco who want to marry their partners, Bill Clinton's cigar-loving ways, Barbra Streisand's blogging, filmmaker Michael Moore's obesity, former Texas Gov. Ann Richards' bouffant hairdo or some other persons totally unconnected to the shooting on Saturday.

My queer mind wonders why Mehlman and the RNC aren't posting diversionary spin on their web site. Maybe he and his party need more time to develop bogus talking points?

I'm sure once they refine a talking point or two, GOP operatives will take to the airwaves and the web to spin the whole episode as part of our effort to never forget September 11 and why we must keep our brave troops in Iraq.