Governor Romney Rescues Dog:

“Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and two of his sons helped rescue a New Jersey family from a sinking boat over the weekend, a New Hampshire official said today.

“The 19-foot vintage wooden boat with six people and a dog on board started taking on water ... ''It took on water very quickly and they donned their life vests and jumped out,'' Sergeant Robertson said. One passenger tried to dial 911, but water soaked the cellphone, he said...

“ ''The Romneys took two of the passengers and brought them back to shore,'' Sergeant Robertson said...

“Mr. Fehrnstrom, who spoke to Governor Romney on Sunday about the incident, said the governor's two sons hopped on a motorized water scooter, while the governor got on another. They went to the sinking boat, and Governor Romney brought people to shore while his sons stood by at the scene. The Romneys also saved the family's dog, he said... McKenzie, a Scotty, the family dog.”

Brought Family Pets on Family Trips:

“The white Chevy station wagon with the wood paneling was overstuffed with suitcases, supplies, and sons when Mitt Romney climbed behind the wheel to begin the annual 12-hour family trek from Boston to Ontario... The destination for this journey in the summer of 1983 was his parents' cottage on the Canadian shores of Lake Huron. Romney would be returning to the place of his most cherished childhood memories...

“Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack. He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.

“Then Romney put his boys on notice: He would be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it.

“The ride was largely what you'd expect with five brothers, ages 13 and under, packed into a wagon they called the ''white whale.''

“As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours.

“As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis management.

“And it offered his sons a rare unplanned stop.

“ ''Think about it,'' Tagg says, ''a 12-hour drive and the only time we stop is to get gas. When we stop, you can buy your food and go to the bathroom, but that's the only time we're stopping, so you'd better get it all done at once.'' Yet there was one exception to Mitt's nonstop policy. ''As soon as my mom says, 'I think I need to go to the bathroom,' he pulls over instantly, and doesn't complain. 'Anything for you, Ann.'.'' ”

Political opponents used the previous story to claim abuse.

Several stories were written with several amused responses.

Here are some highlights:

TIME Magazine - Romney's Cruel Canine Vacation:

“... the details of the event are more than unseemly — they may, in fact, be illegal.

“The incident: dog excrement found on the roof and windows of the Romney station wagon. How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest.

“Massachusetts's animal cruelty laws specifically prohibit anyone from carrying an animal "in or upon a vehicle, or otherwise, in an unnecessarily cruel or inhuman manner or in a way and manner which might endanger the animal carried thereon." ...

“Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was less circumspect. PETA does not have a position on Romney's candidacy per se, but Newkirk called the incident "a lesson in cruelty that was ... wrong for [his children] to witness...Thinking of the wind, the weather, the speed, the vulnerability, the isolation on the roof, it is commonsense that any dog who's under extreme stress might show that stress by losing control of his bowels: that alone should have been sufficient indication that the dog was, basically, being tortured." Romney, of course, has expressed support for the use of "enhanced interrogation" techniques when it comes to terrorists; his campaign refused to comment about the treatment of his dog.”

Hot Air mocks TIME magazine:

“Mitt's campaign in ruins after very serious bombshell bursts at Time.

“Note the byline [who wrote the article]. Looks like they save the really big scoops for their most esteemed reporters. What, no gratuitous sodomy reference?” [Author of article has history of writing for very liberal websites and being quite crude. Currently she contributes to Playboy.]

“Comments:

“What does that say about a man when THAT is all they can come up with? By that account, Romney must be the most squeaky clean person around. I can’t wait to hear how he once exclaimed “shucks” after stubbing his toe...

“Really big scoops – Haw, Haw!
So it’s against the law to have a dog in an open bed of a pick-up truck? Never mind gay marriage – that has to be the biggest cultural divide between Massachusetts and Texas...

“You have got to be freaking kidding me.
And they tie it in with Romney’s stance on interrogation techiniques?
That is pure comedy gold. I thought I was reading the Onion. Then again, TIME is really not much better most of the time, so who really cares?

“Still chuckling. And it’s not even Friday! That Cox chick just doesn’t have a good instinct for comic timing, does she? ...

“Makes the man real. This is one of those ‘this ain’t no ****’ war stories you tell around the camp fire. What that video would be worth! ...

“Sounds like a motorcycle ride to me!
I must be a masochist.
if this is all they got on Mitt, he IS squeaky clean...

“So I had to poo at work today, can I sue? I was showing extreme stress, I’ve clearly been tortured! ...

“Wow, Time is pathetic. Have they really come to this? I bet Brownback forgot to take the trash out one time. It must be investigated! ...

“Dog on car top = criminal behavior.
Woman in sunk car = no big deal.

“Mitt vs. Teddy
No need to say more

“Told my dog about this and now she wants me to strap her crate on top of the car and take her for a ride. I think my Collie is leaning towards voting for Mitt now...

“Dog poop on the windows of a Republican candidate must be more threatening to our freedom than stacks of FBI files in the White House office of the former First Lady’s former law partner. And, the dog poop doesn’t stink as much. [Reference to mysterious death of White House Counsel Vince Foster during a Clinton investigation and the subsequent cleaning out of all the files in his possesion getting minimal press coverage] ...

“Good Lord! This is a new low for Time. This is the sort of crap I would expect to read in Mad Magazine. What’s next?

Romney Leaves garden Hoses on Lawn
Romney Joins In Brutal Pine Cone Fight (1953)
Romney Leaves Seat Up

I mean really... "Cruel Canine Vacation"??? ...”

''Hot Air was launched on April 24, 2006, with Michelle Malkin as founder/CEO. Since then, the site has become one of the largest right-of-center blogs on the Internet.''

What The Crap? - Time Magazine Sinks To New Low:

“This story is so far reaching, so absolutely absurd…I don’t even know what to say. Cox, as well as the pathetic editorial staff at Time, should be ashamed even for considering publishing this garbage. If I had to dig all the way back to 1983, to someone’s family vacation – just so I could write a desperate flailing drive-by hit-piece article like this one – I would be demoralized.

“Also, I would be especially embarrassed to include anything from PETA as a serious qoute. PETA’s beliefs can hardly be grounded on any remote shard of rational thought. Obviously – they haven’t spent one iota of brain power observing nature, or they would have discovered that in the wild, animals kill each other constantly. (and in brutal “inhumane” ways). As a side, If they are so concerned with animals – they should do us all a favor and leave civilization themselves and go try to survive in the wilderness. Oh – and they should have to do it completely butt naked, without tools or survival training. (more about PETA to come on WTC...)

“And where would you expect an article with this caliber of stupidity? Try the front page top 6 stories on Time’s website!

“This article is a disgrace to journalism and if I was the manager at Time Magazine, I would fire Ms. Cox on the spot just for putting forth the effort. But then again, given Time’s track record – they probably commissioned it...”

Fox News - Dog Days:

“And Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is getting dumped on by animal rights activists over an old tale of how he used to strap a portable kennel containing the family dog ... to the roof of the family station wagon for long trips...

“The president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals says — "If you wouldn't strap your child to the roof of your car, you have no business doing that to the family dog."

“But Romney said yesterday that the dog loved the ride: "He scrambled up there every time we went on trips. He got in all by himself and enjoyed it." ”

Speaking Frankly blogspot comments on Fox News Story:

“Mitt Romney is getting a bad rap... Please allow me to point out, as a parent and a life-long dog owner, that you do plenty of things to your dog that you would never do to your child, such as:

“• Feed your dog out of a bowl on the kitchen floor

“• Have your dog spayed or neutered before it hits puberty.

“• Make your dog live in a small, uninsulated house in the back yard, year 'round.

“• Put your dog in a small box in the bed of your pickup to transport it.(They are called dog boxes, and they are abundant in the south.)

“• Rub your dog's nose in the little present (s)he left in the den.

“• Cage your dog while you are at work so you don't have to hire someone to watch it.

“Really the list could go on for days...”

The Romneys respond:

“Mitt Romney has been criticized for strapping the family dog on top of his vehicle during a family trip. Saturday night in Des Moines, he was asked to explain. Here's his response...

“Romney said, "Sometimes when the stories come out in the media, they don't quite get it accurate. The kennel that my family pet used to ride in is enclosed. It's not an open-air kennel. It's enclosed. And there are air vents, of course, in the back. My family pet used to climb up there and lay down on his own. We love our family pets, have always loved our family pets, have nothing but honor and pride in taking care of our great dogs." ”

“ "You know, PETA has not been my fan over the years," Romney said. "PETA has been after me for having a rodeo at the Olympics and were very, very upset about that. PETA was after me when I went quail hunting in Georgia. And PETA is not happy that my dog likes fresh air." ”

“Surprise, surprise, the media didn't get the dog story right. Our dog Seamus rode in an ENCLOSED kennel, not in the open air. And he loved it. Every time he saw it, he jumped up on the tailgate, walked in, and lay down. It was just like the kennel he curled up in at home.” - Ann Romney