Newt's lasting imprint! Plus, a charity appeal

By: Daisy

It looks like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich will end his presidential campaign on Tuesday, according to media reports.
Some of my human readers will ask whether Gingrich achieved anything by staying in the race so long. He wasn't even Mitt Romney's biggest challenger -- that was former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who dropped out two weeks ago. All Newt got out of overstaying his welcome was a second-place finish in Delaware yesterday -- one of five primaries in play, all of which Mitt swept.
Well, I would point out (not literally -- my paws aren't made for pointing) that Gingrich's campaign was significant for two reasons, both of which could be used by President Obama as promising venues to battle Romney in the general election.

Campaigns going to the dogs

By: Daisy
We dogs have dominated the news headlines this week, from the presidential campaign to the Massachusetts Senate race. Time to pick up my pen (metaphorically speaking -- I can't pick up a pen with a paw) and start addressing all the doggy details!
Romney camp dishes out sneak attack
First, I wasn't happy that Mitt Romney's henchmen launched an unfair dog-related attack on President Obama. Admittedly the details made me wince (as much as a dog can wince, anyway). It turns out, from Obama's autobiography "Dreams From My Father," that when he was six years old, his stepfather served him dog meat while they were in Indonesia.
The Romney camp is making much ado over this. And I must say, it makes me feel rather queasy. Yet I should also point out that this happened when Obama was SIX YEARS OLD ... just a kid who hardly could have been expected to politely turn down the, ahem, meal. Today, our now 50-year-old president is a thoughtful pet owner who takes his Portuguese water dog Bo in limo rides and on Christmas shopping trips.
Romney, on the other paw (oops, I mean hand), was in his mid-thirties when he strapped Seamus atop the family station wagon on a cross-country drive in 1983. So I don't think his supporters are right when they say Obama's doggy no-no was as bad as Romney's.

Mass. Tells Moose Hunters: Vamoose!

Moose-Quabbin Cartoon, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Recently the state of Massachusetts opted not to allow moose hunting in the Quabbin Reservoir, which has a dog and moose delighted, in the latest episode of "Capitol Hill Canine"!
Thanks to my muse for her help with this cartoon.

We don't need Mitt's "outside-the-car" policies

By: Daisy

This week, the human world was abuzz with the news that Mitt Romney has all but clinched the Republican nomination for President of the United States after the departure of former Sen. Rick Santorum. So I thought I'd touch on the differences between Mitt and the Democratic incumbent, President Obama, in a key aspect: The way they drive with their dogs.
Mitt, as we are likely aware, drove with his Irish setter Seamus in a crate atop the family station wagon during a 12-hour trip from Boston to Ontario in 1983. President Obama, meanwhile, sits with his Portuguese water dog Bo safely inside his armored limousine, as shown in a photo tweeted by adviser David Axelrod this year.
These examples have profound implications for America.

Doggie Dilemma is 'Ticket' to Budget Solution

Budget-Golf Tickets, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

It was the ultimate conundrum: A man in Seattle got four passes to the Masters golf tournament, only to have his Swiss mountain dog Sierra eat all four. (The Masters gave him new tickets.) Does this offer President Obama a solution to the budget impasse with GOP Rep. Paul Ryan? Read more in the latest episode of "Capitol Hill Canine"!

GOP alpha dog Mitt will lead us astray

By: Daisy

If there's one canine concept you humans love to use, it's the idea of an "Alpha Dog."
This means a mover and shaker who can take charge, seize the initiative and lead the pack. Am I an Alpha Dog? Do you even need to ask? My human friend Rich once admitted to a passer-by on the bike path after I had gently indicated which way I wanted to go: "She sets the pace."
Well, you humans might not know that there are two kinds of alpha dogs ... good ones, and bad ones. I got to know both types through my experiences with the kindly folks at Westie Rescue. I met benevolent "Earth Mother" Westies who tried to make sure each member of the pack got treated fairly ... and Machiavellian Westies who got into barking battles with me and wolfed down my food before I could get to it.
This week, one of the Republicans who wants to be president, Mitt Romney, has been trying very hard to act like an alpha dog. My question is, does he want to be a good alpha or a bad one? Alas, I think I know the answer.