Cheney In Confederate Flag Flap

Dick Cheney's latest hunting expedition has produced controversy of a different sort for the vice president.

Cheney became the butt of jokes for shooting a companion during a Texas hunting trip in 2006. This time, two New York newspapers, the Post and the Daily News, reported that a Confederate flag was hung from a garage at the Clove Valley Rod and Gun Club, where the vice president went bird hunting on Monday.

The photo was shown to New York City civil rights activist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, who issued a statement demanding that the vice president "leave immediately, denounce the club, and apologize for going to a club that represents lynching, hate and murder to black people."

The Post reported that the flag was clearly visible, but Cheney spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said neither Cheney nor anyone on his staff saw such a flag at the hunt club.

It was Cheney's second visit to the Dutchess County club, about 70 miles north of New York City. The previous trip was in the fall of 2001.

In 2006, Cheney peppered attorney Harry Whittington with birdshot while quail hunting in Texas. The vice president came under fire for not going public with the incident for four days.

The vice president later called it "one of the worst days of my life" and said, "The image of him falling is something I'll never ever be able to get out of my mind."

The shooting was ruled an accident. Whittington was hospitalized for six days.

Cheney has gone hunting at least a couple of times since the accident.