Should Cheney Resign?
I've never been a Cheney hater. In fact, back before he disappeared from public view, I actually liked the guy. Unlike his boss, he was both straight-talking and articulate, and he had small-government instincts on social and economic policy.
But, honestly, shooting your elderly hunting buddy in the chest? It's not a crime (not paying a $7 quail-hunting stamp fee is less serious than speeding), but it's an embarrassment: to the office, the administration, and the United States. The vice president should be more careful with guns. I can't make a rational policy case for it, but my gut says he should resign.
UPDATE: A reader raises an interesting question: "Why should you consider your gut a reliable guide in this case? Is it because guns are a hot-button issue? Guns can kill, but so can cars, and I wouldn't trust my gut if it told me that resignation was the appropriate penalty in an auto accident unless I knew recklessness or drunkeness was involved. And we don't know if either are a factor here. The assumption seems to be that any firearm mishap is a result of wanton recklessness, but you being the sensible libertarian that you are know better. Right?"
The car accident hypothetical is a good one. I assume presidents and vice presidents don't actually drive themselves anywhere, but suppose Dick Cheney had hit a jaywalking pedestrian, causing serious injuries. Assume the vice president was neither reckless nor impaired but could have been paying closer attention. Yes, I'd probably have the same reaction. Guns aren't the issue. Life-threatening mistakes are. Mistakes have consequences, including professional ones. Unfortunately, the vice president of the United States can't simply take a discrete but official leave of absence. It's all or nothing.