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Pious Perverts See other Pious Perverts Articles Title: Cheney Gets [Standing] Ovation From Wyo. Legislature CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Vice President Dick Cheney returned to his home state Friday, getting a standing ovation from lawmakers shortly after the lawyer he accidentally shot made his first public comments about Saturday's hunting trip. "I want to thank you for that welcome home," Cheney told the Wyoming lawmakers. "It's a wonderful experience to be greeted by such warmth by the leaders of our great state. It's especially true when you've had a very long week. Thankfully, Harry Whittington is on the mend and doing very well." In Texas, the 78-year-old Whittington stood outside the Corpus Christi hospital where he has been treated, telling reporters he was sorry for all the trouble Cheney had faced since the shooting during a quail hunting trip in South Texas. "We all assume certain risks in what we do, in what activities we pursue," Whittington said. "Accidents do and will happen." Dr. David Blanchard, the hospital's chief of emergency care, said Whittington was being released Friday because of "his excellent health," but added that Whittington wasn't answering questions because "he is not 100 percent." He said the Austin attorney was lucky to have survived the shooting. Whittington was hit in the face, neck and chest with birdshot Saturday during the hunting trip. After a shotgun pellet traveled to his heart, he had suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday while being treated at Christus Spohn Hospital Corpus Christi-Memorial. During his appearance Friday, he had what appeared to be a line of scarring on his upper right eyelid and scrapes on his neck. On Wednesday, Cheney took full blame for the shooting. "I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend," Cheney told Fox News in his first public comments about the shooting. He said it was "one of the worst days of my life." Whittington, his voice raspy but strong, said the past weekend encompassed "a cloud of misfortune and sadness." "My family and I are deeply sorry for everything Vice President Cheney and his family have had to deal with," he said. The Bush administration had come under sharp criticism because of Cheney's failure to publicly disclose Saturday's accident until the next day. But on Thursday, President Bush said Cheney handled the situation "just fine." "I'm satisfied with the explanation he gave," Bush said, calling it "strong and powerful." In Texas, the Kenedy County Sheriff's Department closed its investigation without filing any charges. The department's report supported Cheney's account. Cheney told an investigator he did not see his hunting partner while aiming for a bird. The report also included the first public account from Whittington, interviewed from his hospital bed Monday. Whittington "explained foremost there was no alcohol during the hunt and everyone was wearing the proper hunting attire of blaze orange," reported Chief Deputy Gilberto San Miguel Jr. For his first public appearance since the shooting, Cheney chose the Wyoming Legislature, where in 1965 he worked as an intern and met Alan Simpson, then a rookie state legislator who would go on to be the No. 2 Republican in the U.S. Senate. Ten years later, after doing postgraduate work in political science, Cheney went to Washington and served as White House chief of staff to President Ford. He was elected in 1978 to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving until 1989, when he resigned to become secretary of defense under the first President Bush. Cheney, who was spending the weekend in his home state, remains popular in Wyoming. He received a loud ovation four years ago when he last addressed the legislature. About a dozen people waited outside the Capitol in subzero temperatures to protest Cheney's appearance Friday. In his speech, Cheney spent most of his time reminiscing about Wyoming politicians, including his time as the state's sole representative in the U.S. House. "For better than a decade, I proudly answered to the title, 'the gentleman from Wyoming,'" Cheney said. Associated Press writers Lynn Brezosky in Corpus Christi, Texas, and Nedra Pickler in Washington contributed to this report.
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