Hallie often leaves the radio on during the day so that I have company. I am a big fan of NPR. I literally listen to every program they offer. My favorites are “All Things Considered,” “This American Life, “ and “Re-Sound.” I can barely make it through “Story Corps” on Friday mornings. The stories are always so touching. It is a little disappointing that I have never heard a dog and their human on Story Corps – afterall aren’t we “man’s best friend?” (But I digress).
Earlier this week, I was surprised to learn that it was the Iowa Caucus and that can only mean one thing…it’s time to vote for a president again. It sure does feel like Obama just got into office. The most important part of any election for most humans is the candidates. For me, the most important part is whether or not the candidates have a dog, and what kind of policies do they support that will benefit me.
Here are some interesting facts about American presidents and their dogs that I found on dogtime.com:
- George Washington’s dog’s name was Sweet Lips
- Teddy Roosevelt’s dog ripped the pants off of the French ambassador
- Lyndon Johnson’s dog relieved himself in front of the Shah of Iran
In 2008, I reported that the winner of this past week’s Iowa caucus, Mitt Romney, did not have a dog. As it turns out, I may have been a little too hard on Mitt. He didn’t have a dog in 2008, but according to his wife Ann,
“Mitt and I love our dogs. Seamus was our first–an Irish setter. When I wasn’t at home, Mitt let him sleep on the bed. And usually when he was riding in the car, his head was out the window. Seamus lived to a ripe old age, basking in the affection of a large family…
Ann continues…
“We are a dog family. Casey was our Bichon, McKenzie our Golden, and Marley our Weimaraner. Marley had 8 puppies, which Mitt delivered all night for her one summer. When she died last year, she was in Mitt and our arms, and we all cried. Yes, we love our dogs.”
MittRomneyRoadToTheWhiteHouse.blogspot.com – From Ann Romney – Jun 30, 2007
I guess it is hard to be a presidential candidate and have a dog at the same time. Mitt is probably on the road a lot while he is campaigning. His kids are all grown, who would be home to walk his dog? I guess in the interim that if he really wanted to show some support for canines, he could change his name to “Mutt.” I know that for me, if his name was Mutt, I would take him a lot more seriously.
