Ken Rudin has done it again. The NPR political editor’s latest “Political Junkie” column recalls that Anne Armstrong, matriarch of the Armstrong Ranch — where Vice President Cheney had his hunting accident — was mentioned as a possible vice presidential running mate for Gerald Ford in 1976. Rudin notes that a Gallup Poll question at the time asked, “Which of the following men would you like to see as Ford’s running mate,” and the list included Armstrong.

Extreme Mortman’s historian-on-retainer Richard Andrews remembers this 1956 incident involving Spain’s King Juan Carlos. His younger brother, the Infante Alfonso, died of a gunshot wound in Estroil Portugal, with Juan Carlos as the only witness. The official explanation is that it was an accident which occurred while cleaning a gun. Alfonso suffered from hemophilia and did not survive.

Here’s a fun little theme developing from Bush Administration spokesfolks:

In today’s Howard Kurtz story on why VP Cheney chose Fox News’ Brit Hume for his interview, Mary Matalin Matalin said Cheney considered holding a news conference, but that “would have meant a lot of grandstanding” by reporters. “Everyone asks the same questions so they can get on their networks,” she said.

And here’s what White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan previously told NBC News’ David Gregory when questioned about the story: “David, hold on… the cameras aren’t on right now. You can do this later.'’

Looks like the White House is, as one astute on-camera observer/celebrity notes, attacking the messenger. Good for them! The White House is, after all, correct in doing so. Big time.

And my favorite part of the Cheney interview on Fox? His two-times use of the word accuracy:

“I still think that the accuracy was enormously important”

” …as the media outlets have proliferated, speed has become sort of a driving force, lots of time at the expense of accuracy.”

How ironic, in context.

So the big-feet media are all upset over being scooped by a tiny local paper on the story about Dick Cheney shooting a guy (Wash Post editorial: “local reporter” .. White House reporter: “tell the local Corpus Christi newspaper, and not the White House press corps at large…”). So if the big media are so good, why haven’t they found out what happened to the clay duck that got away?