Man (Bush buddy) Who Shot Reagan Allowed to Visit Parents Unsupervised

[stickdog]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/18/national/18HINC.html?ex=1072414800&en=fc6a48d609174bbe&ei=5001&partner=YAHOO

A federal judge ruled on Wednesday that John W. Hinckley Jr., who shot President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was mentally stable enough to be allowed unsupervised visits with his parents outside the psychiatric hospital he has lived in for more than 20 years.

The judge, Paul L. Friedman of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, ruled over the objections of the former president's family and federal officials. But he placed heavy restrictions on Mr. Hinckley's movements, confining him to the Washington area and placing enormous responsibilities on his parents, John and Jo Ann Hinckley. They will be required to supervise him on any trip from the hospital, to monitor his mental condition and to maintain daily contact with the hospital. A violation of any of these conditions, Judge Friedman said, would terminate the liberties granted.

Mr. Hinckley, now 48, was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the shootings of President Reagan, his press secretary James Brady and two law enforcement officials and in recent years has argued that he is stable enough to spend time away from the hospital without hospital personnel who have accompanied him on hundreds of supervised trips since 1999.

While Judge Friedman concluded that the evidence in the case convinced him that Mr. Hinckley would "not be a danger to himself or others," his ruling was immediately criticized by Mr. Reagan's wife, Nancy, and the Justice Department on behalf of all the shooting victims, including Mr. Brady, who suffered brain damage from his wounds.

[Merlin]

1. Jim & Sarah Brady, strong Gore supporters, live nearby. Wonder..

what they think of this development.

Jim is still totally paralyzed, but his speech is only slightly damaged, and his mind is sharp. He's a hell of a nice guy, and has a great wit. Sarah is terrific, too.

Next time I see them, I'll ask how they feel about this. Also wonder about their take on Howard Dean, given his position that significant additional federal gun controls are unnecessary (a position I'm surprised to say I agree with).

[Merlin]

2. More on the amazing Hinckley-Bush connection

From rense.com:

The relationship was much closer between George Bush, Sr., and John Hinckley, Sr., whose families were neighbors for years in Houston. John Hinckley, Sr., contributed to the political campaigns of Bush, Sr., all the way back to Bush's running for Congress, and he supported Bush against Reagan for the 1980 Republican presidential nomination. Bush, Sr., and Hinckley, Sr., were both in the oil business. When the Hinckley oil company, Vanderbilt Oil, started to fail in the 1960s, Bush, Sr.'s, Zapata Oil financially bailed out Hinckley's sompany. Hinckley had been running an operation with six dead wells, but he began making several milliion dollars a year after the Bush bailout.

Scott Hinckley, John's brother, was scheduled to have dinner at the Denver home of Neil Bush, Bush, Sr.'s, son (and of course the current president's brother) the day after the shooting. At the time, Neil Bush was a Denver-based purchaser of mineral rights for Amoco, and Scott Hinckley was the vice president of his father's Denver-based oil business.

On the day of the shooting, NBC news anchor John Chancellor, eyebrows raised, informed the viewers of the nightly news that the man who tried to kill the president was acquainted with the son of the man who would have become president had the attack succeeded. As a matter of fact, Chancellor reported in a bewildered tone, Scott Hinckley and Neil Bush had been scheduled to have dinner together at the home of the (then) vice-president's son (Neil) the very next night.

[Turley]

3. Interesting

but surely this doesn't imply that Hinckley wasn't nuts?

[FlaGranny]

5. I think Hinckley WAS nuts,

but probably not nuts enough to be unaware that with Reagan out of the way, his daddy's friend would be president. He obviously was deranged, though.

[jmcgowanjm]

4. This is turning into a grudge match between Bush/Reagan

From the reports that I'm hearing, there seems to be no
love lost between these two camps.

Conspiracy Theory-Bush has been running Presidency
ever since shooting. Except for Clinton, of course.

Wierd note-Nancy shot down that Reagan Dime story
right away.

I'd appreciate knowing what the Brady's think, and
the SS agent that got hit.

[Heddi]

6. dupe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=274481