It is an shame that the Vice President has to be bullied into doing the right thing, and then, his friends only weigh in because they are afraid he is hurting them politically.

Here's the WaPo story:

Vice President Cheney's slow and unapologetic public response to the accidental shooting of a 78-year-old Texas lawyer is turning the quail-hunting mishap into a political liability for the Bush administration and is prompting senior White House officials to press Cheney to publicly address the issue as early as today, several prominent Republicans said yesterday.

The Republicans said Cheney should have immediately disclosed the shooting Saturday night to avoid even the suggestion of a coverup and should have offered a public apology for his role in accidentally shooting Harry Whittington, a GOP lawyer from Austin. Whittington was hospitalized Saturday night in Corpus Christi, Tex., and was moved back into the intensive-care unit after suffering an abnormal heart rhythm yesterday morning.

There can be little doubt that Cheney and the Bush White House have handled this matter the way they have because they have something to hide.  They are smart enough to know the best way to deal with this.  They are willing to take the flack for doing it this way, because the truth would be worse. 

When people engage in cover-ups, there is usually a reason.