Dogs & Dirty Dogs

It is a dog's world. Most delightful scene last week was to witness the Obama family on the White House lawn cope with their new pooch. Most disgusting event was to witness Dirty-Dog Republicans fumble an attempt to turn a nation-wide tax protest into an anti Obama jamboree.

But the Best of the Show, top Blue Ribbon Dumb Dog Prize, was awarded to Texas governor Rick Perry who threatened to have Texas secede from the union if Washington failed to please him. Along with the Perry's use of the word secession, permit me to toss out the words, sedition or treason.

It was quite a show at the White House when Bo, the six-month old Portuguese water dog pet, made his debut as first dog. As a dog fancier myself, an owner, partial to spirited Manchester Terriers, I watched closely as the Obama family, the President his two young daughters and wife, all dressed to the tees, were mercilessly pulled around the grounds by the delightfully rambunctious dog. It was apparent that none in this quartet knew much about dogs.

It was also obvious at this point, that Bo by far represented the dominant species. I think it will be sometime before we witness the Obamas and Bo placidly walk down the ramp of Air Force 1. More power to them – Bo will enrich their lives, certainly bring another dimension to their routines.

The Republicans staged a national level Tea Party allegedly to protest taxation. Nat Silver, the celebrated statistician, estimated a total of 300-400 thousand total people participated nation wide. This was indeed an underwhelming number. Silver also made the point that the highest density was in rural areas – God, guns and evangelicals. Without these fervid loyalists, there is no grass roots for the Republicans; with it, the party is doomed as a Southern regional party.

The Tea Party demonstrations were promoted unabashedly by right wing Fox News. It scattered its TV host celebrities all over the country to cover a non-news event. Fox crossed the integrity red line – it tried to create news and then rushed to report it – PROPAGANDISTS OF THE WORLD UNITE.

The Tea Parties quickly turned ugly. Obama was characterized by Dirty Dog demonstrators as a Hitler and Lenin – as fascist and socialist. They challenged his place of birth and pictured him deeply bowing before a Saudi King; these demonstrations turned out to be hate rallies. But when the issues get too complicated that is to what the foolish turn. Dirty Dog Republicans are experts in this.

There are already plenty of Obama failures over which to get angry: bailout of bankers but no help to small business; failure to end Iraq war; borders left unprotected; unemployment soaring; free passes to Bush officials who sponsored torture policies; continued blind US support of Israeli aggressive policies; selected weak and morally challenged political appointees; and, one-sided free trade agreements favoring foreign countries.

Governor Rick Perry's threat to secede was absurd but inflammatory. Texas cannot legally secede any more than Alaska. Both have secessionist movements and both have goofy governors. Texas’ Tom Delay, who left Congress under a cloud of moral turpitude, tried to defend Perry on Hardball MSNBC by arguing that Perry was just asserting. Texas sovereignty. Perry and Delay are two reasons there are more horses asses than horses in the world. Six hundred thousand Americans wearing blue and grey died in a Civil War to settle the last secessionist fracas.

Mondo Cane was a an Italian documentary film made in 1962. It documented brutalities of various cultures and won a academy award nomination. It is also a low-grade Italian curse. The only other curse involving dogs I know is in Polish. A CURSE OF DOGS BLOOD AND CHOLERA UPON YOU... As the Democrats figure out how to respond to the Tea-Bag sliming of Obama by the Dirty Dog Republicans, they are welcome to these curses. More likely they will turn the other cheek and recite, STICKS AND STONES CAN BREAK MY BONES BUT NAMES WILL NEVER HARM ME.

As far as Bo-The-First-Dog, suggest a choker chain for training. Further, Michele Obama should use it, as President Obama seems to be adverse to pulling chains. He certainly missed a recent opportunity with the arrogant Frenchman Nicolas Sarkozy. It is with great anticipation we await his meeting with the Israeli belligerent bully, Netanyahu. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.