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The Hardball Briefing On MSNBC
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Roughly 72 hours after it happened, many questions from Vice President Cheney's
hunting accident remain unanswered. Among them are: why did a private citizen
-- not the vice president's office -- first tell the media about the situation,
why did it take so long for information to travel from Texas to the White
House, why did the it subsequently take longer for the media to be informed,
and will the vice president comment publicly about the situation?
Tonight on Hardball, Chris will talk with Washington Post reporter Jim
VandeHei, who attended the once again contentious White House press briefing
today in which spokesman Scott McClellan repeatedly told the press corps that
they were welcome to continue asking questions about the situation, but that
the administration is ready to move on with other work. Here's a transcript of
today's briefing:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/02/20060214-1.html.
Plus, MSNBC analyst Dr. Bernadine Healy, a cardiologist and former head of the
National Institutes of Health, will join Chris to discuss the condition of
Harry Whittington, the man injured in the accident. Whittington had a minor
heart attack early this morning caused by bird shot that moved into his heart.
Here's more on that: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11340558/.
Also, Hardball's David Shuster will take a look at the vice president's
interaction with the media during his time in office. Former Clinton White
House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers and former Nixon/Ford/Reagan/Clinton
advisor David "Four Administrations" Gergen also will talk about how the
administration has handled the situation so far.
And, get ready, tonight Bill Maher plays Hardball. The host of HBO's Real Time
with Bill Maher will talk with Chris about the shooting, the Bush
Administration, the rapid ramp-up to 2008, and the season premiere of his show
this Friday night. Check it out here: http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/.
For more on the Cheney shooting, Hardball Political Analyst Bob Shrum and Ron
Christie, a former aide to President Bush and Vice President Cheney, will be
here to talk about the questions of political accountability that showered
McClellan today. Bob and Ron also will talk about the new reports in which the
White House dismisses any familiarity between Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove
and indicted Republican superlobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Here are some things you might not have read yet today:
--AP reports on Iraq vet Paul Hackett's withdrawal from the Ohio senate race
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11337055/
--AP hears Saddam Hussein say he's not eating
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11302827/
--Hardblogger (!) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5445086/
--NBC's First Read http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3626796/
--Doonesbury http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html
Brooke Brower compiled the "Hardball Briefing" in Washington, D.C.
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