US Vice President Dick Cheney is coming under pressure over his reaction to his accidental shooting of a hunting companion during a weekend quail hunt.
Harry Whittington (78) suffered a minor heart attack yesterday when some of the birdshot still in his body lodged near his heart, a hospital spokesman said.
Mr Whittington, a Republican stalwart and lawyer in Texas, was struck by an estimated 200 pellets when Mr Cheney, hunting on Saturday on a south Texas ranch, reportedly whirled around to fire at a covey of quail and hit his friend instead.
Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer
The story blew up into a major controversy because news of the shooting only came out on Sunday, when ranch owner Katharine Armstrong, also a Republican stalwart and lobbyist, called the Corpus Christi Caller-Timesto report it.
Neither the White House nor Mr Cheney's staff disclosed the accident, saying the primary concern had been making sure Mr Whittington received proper care.
A hospital spokeswoman said Mr Whittington was in "stable" condition and still in intensive care.
The news of Mr Whittington's setback gave a serious edge to the incident that the White House had begun making light of yesterday after tense exchanges with the media the day before over failure to disclose the shooting for almost a full day.
Before news of the setback, White House spokesman Scott McClellan opened a news briefing with a one-liner about the Cheney mishap when he previewed a White House appearance by the orange-jerseyed University of Texas football team. Hunters often wear orange vests so they will be visible to other hunters.
"The orange that they're wearing is not because they're concerned that the vice president may be there - although that's why I'm wearing it," joked Mr McClellan, who was wearing an orange necktie.
But after the hospital press conference, the Bush administration's mood was more subdued. Mr McClellan did not repeat his joke at a later briefing, and Mr Cheney issued a statement expressing his concern and saying he had spoken to his wounded hunting companion.
The vice president has not spoken publicly since the incident, which drew criticism even from supporters.
Ari Fleischer, who was President George W. Bush's first press secretary, from 2001 to 2003, said the accident should have been promptly reported to the public.
"It would have been better if the vice president and/or his staff had come out last Saturday night or first thing Sunday morning and announced it," he said. "It could have and should have been handled differently."
Marlin Fitzwater, who served as press secretary to President George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan, also criticized Mr Cheney, saying he was "appalled" at the response to the incident.
The sheriff's department in Kennedy County, where the 50,000 acre Armstrong ranch is located, said on Monday it had found no misconduct in the incident.