Bush, Obama United Against GOP War on Dogs Harry Truman once famously said, "If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog." For all of his faults, President Bush followed Truman's advice and like his father welcomed man's best friend to the White House. In his interview with Barbara Walters Wednesday, Barack Obama signaled that he, too, wanted a "big rambunctious dog" in his administration. As it turns out, this rare moment of bipartisanship is a welcome relief from the extreme anti-dog agenda of the Republicans who would have been president.
As we found out last December, the son of then-Republican frontrunner Mike Huckabee joined Mitt Romney among the tormentors of man's best friend. As Newsweek details, then 17 year old David Huckabee was dismissed in 1998 from his job as a Boy Scout counselor at Camp Pioneer in Hatfield, Arkansas for hanging a stray dog. As with his get-out-of-jail-free card for a political ally busted on a repeat DWI charge and his other faith-based pardons, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee then personally intervened to protect his son from legal jeopardy:
It also prompted the local prosecuting attorney - bombarded with complaints generated by a national animal-rights group - to write a letter to the Arkansas state police seeking help investigating whether David and another teenager had violated state animal-cruelty laws. The state police never granted the request, and no charges were ever filed. But John Bailey, then the director of Arkansas's state police, tells NEWSWEEK that Governor Huckabee's chief of staff and personal lawyer both leaned on him to write a letter officially denying the local prosecutor's request. Bailey, a career officer who had been appointed chief by Huckabee's Democratic predecessor, said he viewed the lawyer's intervention as improper and terminated the conversation. Seven months later, he was called into Huckabee's office and fired.
The Huckabee clan, of course, was not the only prominent Republican family to practice cruelty towards canine companions. Earlier this year, Time revealed that former Massachusetts Governor and Huckabee rival Mitt Romney practiced rooftop canine waterboarding. Mitt, it was revealed, routinely took family vacations with his Irish Setter Seamus in a kennel tied to the roof of his car. (Even Chris Wallace of the reliably right-wing Fox News was horrified. During an interview with Romney, an incredulous Wallace said of his own Yellow Lab, "I would no sooner put him in a kennel on the roof of my car than I would one of my children.")
Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist also can be found among the ranks of Republicans practicing animal cruelty for convenience, fun or (in his case) profit. As you'll recall, Frist was a frequent visitor to animal shelters where the future Doctor adopted stray cats only to dissect them later as part of his learn-at-home medical studies. Of course, given his predilection for dismembering felines over canines, Frist can hardly be accused of being on the frontlines in the Republican war on dogs.
Rudy Giuliani's mistress turned third wife, Judith Nathan, however, is another matter. As it turns out, the latest Mrs. Giuliani too has a sordid history of mistreating of dogs for fun and profit. As the New York Post reported in April:
Judith Giuliani once demonstrated surgical products for a controversial medical-supply company that used dogs - which were later killed - in operations whose only purpose was to sell equipment to doctors.
In her defense, it should be noted that Mayor Giuliani went to great lengths to ensure the safety of Nathan's own canines. As part of his clandestine taxpayer-funded romps with his then girlfriend, Giuliani used the NYPD cops to walk Nathan's dog.
Mercifully for the nation's pet owners, President-Elect Obama seems committed to supporting canine Americans, albeit with some conditions. No doubt certain to run afoul of his wife, his daughters and the constraint of finding a hypoallergenic pup, Obama told ABC's Walters of his aversion to "girly dogs." When she tried to sell him on her Havenese as the ideal White House pooch, Obama objected:
Barack Obama: [Face suddenly changes.] "It's like a little yappy dog?"
Michelle Obama: "Don't criticize."
BO: "It, like, sits in your lap and things?"
MO: "It's a cute dog."
BO: "It sounds kinda like a girly dog."
MO: "We're girls. We have a houseful of girls."
MO: [with hand gestures]: "We're going to have a big rambunctious dog, of some sort."
Whatever sort of dog President Obama ends up with, it will doubtless find enjoy better circumstances than under a President Romney, President Huckabee or President Giuliani. (Hopefully, Obama's will enjoy a better relationship than Bush's with the White House press corps.) And on this Thanksgiving Day, that's something America's dogs and dog owners can give thanks for.
it's even worse than what you write -- the dog was so freaked out it shit all over itself and the cage, on the roof of the car, so romney stopped at a gas station, grabbed a hose and sprayed the dog and the cage down, to my understanding, while it was still on the roof of the car.
his excuse was they were "only" traveling about six hours. on the highway.
he's a nasty piece of work. it's a good thing i'm not his god.
Posted by
karen marie
on
November 28, 2008 8:34 PM
yeah, that story about romney is "old news."
it's even worse than what you write -- the dog was so freaked out it shit all over itself and the cage, on the roof of the car, so romney stopped at a gas station, grabbed a hose and sprayed the dog and the cage down, to my understanding, while it was still on the roof of the car.
his excuse was they were "only" traveling about six hours. on the highway.
he's a nasty piece of work. it's a good thing i'm not his god.
Posted by karen marie on November 28, 2008 8:34 PM