Hey Romney, look on the bright side: you're now guaranteed to get Dobson's endorsement.

"In Romney’s defense, however, I’d note that the incident took place over twenty-five years ago. Goodness knows, his views on dog travel have certainly changed half a dozen times in the interim."

lol, ouch

I worry about anyone who thinks putting a beloved pet on top of a vehicle in a cage for a 12 hour trip is okay. It's cruel and inhumane. That poor dog! Is this someone who can truly empathize with others? They shouldn't have pets.

Just in order to be fair. My dawgs take a pretty good beating when we go off road. Of course they have their beds in the truck and can come thru the window but, it can still be a bit rough when it becomes bone jarring. But, tying a dog on to the roof. Makes me want to woof all over Mit, even if he isn't a prime minister.

The man is an obvious self-serving cretin, possibly a sociopath, who treats other living beings as objects. I'd wager that that applies to his wife and children as well.

Good gawd not this guy again. Living proof money is definitely the root of most evil when it gets into the wrong hands.

I seem to recall part of the story was that he attached a plastic sheild over the forward part of the carrier to block the wind. Don't forget that part.

LongTooth said, "Cat killers and dog abusers. That’s todays GOP for you!"

And George Bush blew up frogs as a kid.
http://www.all-creatures.org/aip/nl-3nov2000-frogs.html

This animal abuse seems to be a pattern with the GOP!

Actually that is kind of weird to strap a caged dog on top of a station wagon and drive for twelve hours....

The poor thing was probably howling while he was shitting on the roof....

My husband thinks maybe the reason why Romney did it was because people would mistake the howling dog for a police siren and move aside.....

He's so bad....

Romney terrifies me like Bush terrified me in 2000. Lets pray he doesn't make it to the Finals. his creepy robotic looks might be enough to convince the 51% dumbasses that he's Reaganesque.

Giuliani terrifies me as the most dangerous of the wingnuts, with Romney a close second.

Thompson doesn't scare me. Neither does McCain. Although both would suck, both are easily beatable.

Lets hope it's Thompson. We can take Actor Boy out in two seconds.

a ha ha. wow he was the man in highschool. what a pimp. just killin rodents and humpin his friends little sisters like the handsome stud he is.

There is NO excusing such egregious behavior - I don't CARE - how many years ago this happened.

Romney is either horribly cruel and inhumane - indicative of a complete lack of any remnant of humanity -- or irretrievably STUPID.
*

I'm going to sleep easier. One of the universal things in this country that crosses all the way from rich to poor, backwater hillbilly to urbane sophisticate and black to white is that we love our dogs, and any mistreatment of them is immediately met with well deserved SCORN. I thank Mitt's dog for it's noble sacrifice

wont he be quite the leader in the next Katrina?

This bit of animal cruelty from the man that wants to "Double Guantanamo".

At least Frist put them out of their misery and G.W. blew them up with firecrackers.

When are people going to wake up to the fact that an animal abuser as a child is not good background for a solid president. Professionals for years have told us that that kind of behavior is indicative of a problem adult. Now. we've had over 6 yrs. of very prominent proof that they have been right all along! Now, which makes Romney even worse is the fact that this guy was an *adult* when he performed this particular animal abuse. But, as someone has said, he's probably flip flopped quite a few times since then regarding abusing animals along with how many other things? Terrific presidential material......top notch.

I didn't realize Clark Griswold was running for President?!

A wonderful example of a consistent trait in conservatives: their inability to prioritorise the gravity of a situation. War on lies is ok, torture is ok, guantanamo x 2 is ok, flip-flopping is ok... Dog on a roof? appalling.

John Stuart Mills:
'Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives.'

=my2c
BC

Just What I Think @ 16:

LongTooth said, "Cat killers and dog abusers. That’s todays GOP for you!"

And George Bush blew up frogs as a kid.
http://www.all-creatures.org/aip/nl-3nov2000-frogs.html

This animal abuse seems to be a pattern with the GOP!

Don't let's hurt Dobson's feelings by leaving his incident out ~~
http://www.geocities.com/cddugan/DobsonsDog.html
*

JM @ 20:

Romney terrifies me like Bush terrified me in 2000. Lets pray he doesn't make it to the Finals. his creepy robotic looks might be enough to convince the 51% dumbasses that he's Reaganesque.

Giuliani terrifies me as the most dangerous of the wingnuts, with Romney a close second.

Thompson doesn't scare me. Neither does McCain. Although both would suck, both are easily beatable.

Lets hope it's Thompson. We can take Actor Boy out in two seconds.

What's your beef with Thompson - can't you smell his cigars and aqua velva?

Isn't it funny? Guy's so ugly they have to talk about how he smells . . . .
*

Damn, an Irish Setter?... on the roof of a car? Not that it would be OK if was a tea cup chihuahua but...either Mitt was irretrievably stupid or incredibly cold hearted. Christ, I won't even go on vacation because I don't want to leave my guys (mastiffs) at a kennel or in the hands of someone who doesn't understand them. They need their beddie byes fluffed at night and get doggie chews when they go poopers. What a cruel prick.

I can just hear the family reunions for decades to come: "And remember the vacation when Dad strapped Muffy to the roof of the car, and she shat all the way to Canada?!"

Maybe he's trying to out-do Rudy on the tough-on-terror routine.
"This is what I do to my own dog! And I like my dog! You don't even want to know what I do to people I don't like!"

If he was banging 15 year olds when he was an adult, no doubt seamus saw a little time in the Romney bedroom.

Yelp!

[Deleted. Goodbye, sockpuppet]

ha ha ha! I just trolled a right wing website... as a faux-Republican!

...must go take a shower, now....

Would cleaning up the barf from a bunch of car sick kids on a road trip qualify me to be president?

And I didn't even torture any animals in the process.

Sign me up. Actually, I believe that makes Mitt more qualified than Bush.

I love convertibles! I drive with the top down all of the time. I do have a windshield. I have the top down in the heat of the day and the cool of the night.

I've even been caught in the rain on a drive with my mother with the top down. My children, grandchildren and dog love to ride in the back seat. I've had many road trips with the top down all day and especially at night!

I have to say my dog has never messed in the back seat of our convertible with the top down, however I did have a dog mess all over my grandfather's shoe in the back seat of our car with the top up.

Gosh, I never thought a convertible was torture. I'll have to let the motorcycle drivers and convertible owners know this is a torturous way to travel.

I'm going to have to think about how I'll let my dog know the bad news.

I challenge him to try the same thing with my 8-foot crocodile monitor lizard.

Well at least he still has Ann Coulter on his side. "Let's invade the other states, kill their dogs and convert them to christianity."

YAWN

Listen, Dubya intentionally placed firecrackers in frogs as a kid and blew them up. This is absolutely sadistic behavior and any phsychologist would tell you that, as an adult, this type of person will likely be a sociopath.

Romney, on the other hand, likely acted unintentionally and is thus only stupidly cruel. Did he ever do this again and was his decision to not do this again out of a realization that he had tortured his dog or was he merely concerned about the finish of his car?

The answer to this question is critical. Do we really want another President who gets off torturing and killing people?

He did this to an Irish Setter? Named Seamus?
OOOHHH! That should make the Boston Southies REAL happy!
BTW I'm getting a strong feeling that there are many people of all persuasions who are not feeling comfortable with Romney.

Romney

budda @ 3:

Romney is such a tool. He is an empty suit.

Did anyone see the "all american forum" on PBS tonight? Some very interesting questions answers from "our" democratic candidates. Dennis Kucinich was getting the most support tonight because he was one of the few speaking the truth. And you know who I really am starting to hate with a passion - Joe Biden. He's another Holy Joe.

Yup. I've always known in my heart that this particular ass (Democrat, sorry!) is actually a not-so-closeted neoconservative.

Forget the pet, dammit! Take a look at who's the 'wizard' behind Romney's 'curtain'! Mel Sembler got rich torturing kids! What's more effing important? Why aren't more Dems bringing this huge vulnerability of Romney's into the light? If you want to know what Abu Ghraib happened, here's a good start.

That wasn't a case of "emotion-free decision making". It was a case of naked, conscience-free cruelty.

i tend to think of GOP senators as the type who tortured animals as boys through their young adult years. this doesn't surprise me one bit.

There once was a man named Mitt.
Who everyone knew was a twit.
He strapped a dog to a car
and traveled so far
but now he's the one covered with shit.

Of course, anything evil needs to be treated cruelly...like Muslims, blacks, and anyone else who is NOT one of us.

Guilt is the presumption of course.

We all know the argument...if you're arrested you MUST be guilty.

Thanks for clearing that up, Joememtum.

All the politicians are well spoken aren't they? And of the Republican party I suspect that the reason he recieves more donations that anyother GOPer is because he seems presidential, well now "he talks smarter than the res". What a dumbASS! I'm being polite and "humane" when I say this. He's a Fraud with a capital F. A Dumb ASS FRAUD!

This isn't trivial. It says a lot about his character as a human being first. Remember this was a family dog. You hold an affection for any portion of your family. He points our what we've known all along. Flawed to the point of no return. This guy is a well dressed fraud who thinks he's pulled the wool over most people's eyes. Reminds me of someone else.

What's really crazy is this;
When Conservatives criticize PETA, they blame them for caring more about animals than about People. Sort of disengenuous, because nothing in PETA's platform or actions has shown that they DON'T care about people -- they are looking after those that cannot defend themselves. Ethical treatment begets ethical treatment.

Yet Liberals have been getting very angry about torture camps -- where not only the innocent and the guilty are abused, so are kids. The Right has done nothing but excuse these as necessary.

But NOW, they get upset about mistreatment of a Dog, from a man who was "OK with Abu Ghraib"? OK, who is valuing humans above people now?

>> Anyway, I don't ascribe to the Left vs. Right debate because it promotes the distraction that the war on the Middle Class needs as cover.

Toes @ 82:

# 73

Of course this is trivial.

But the GOP has set the rules for campaigning and politiking in the last 20 years by bringing up the most inane and trivial BS as something significant in lieu of more weighty things like issues.

We are simply following the new rules that the GOP established.

I disagree totally. Trivial............NO, not so trivial. It is a red flag. How one treats the most vulnerable, whether it be in society, or in family life, is an indication of what lies at the CORE of his or her HUMANESS. Again, Mitt Romeny has some unchecked behavioral/emotional issues. Is anyone here willing to gamble our country's future based on this blatant demonstration??

Have you ever observed how a dog treats her pups? A lot better instincts than this guy, I'll tell ya that much.

So Romney wants America to be his bitch?

Toes @ 82:

# 73

Of course this is trivial.

But the GOP has set the rules for campaigning and politiking in the last 20 years by bringing up the most inane and trivial BS as something significant in lieu of more weighty things like issues.

We are simply following the new rules that the GOP established.

You have obviously sunk to their level. Why would you do such a thing? That is the most irresponsible thing we can do. It is also a cop-out. You should grow up and take responsibility and stop advocating public discourse that follows their low standards. Shame on you.

Most of these responses were pretty stupid. These responses are from the same freaking people that let their pets run loose, bite people,take their pets they no longer want to the pound to be destroyed or let their pets breed without control. It's stupid items like this that make the news, not the important ones. Who really cares what he did with his pets, or past girlfriends. With social standards at a all time low, we should all stop throwing rocks.

Strap his sorry ass to the roof and drive thru a hail storm!

Commen Sense People @ 95:

Most of these responses were pretty stupid. These responses are from the same freaking people that let their pets run loose, bite people,take their pets they no longer want to the pound to be destroyed or let their pets breed without control. It's stupid items like this that make the news, not the important ones. Who really cares what he did with his pets, or past girlfriends. With social standards at a all time low, we should all stop throwing rocks.

You know, when somebody goes out of their way to highlight their religious beliefs and how that influences their ethical decision-making, I think it is entirely relevant. It is a reflection of a total lack of empathy for God's creatures. He wants to talk about God, Frist wants to go on about God. That said, it would be relevant to me even if he were an aetheist. Let's take a look at our current President who gleefully shot at and blew up frogs. Cruelty to animals is a good indication of a person's character, or lack thereof, as we can see in what we currently have in the WH.

I don't know who you are talking about implying that only stupid people who don't spay or neuter their animals are making comments. Not sure how you happen to know the pet care history of the commenters.

Rastaman @ 93:

Toes @ 82:

# 73

Of course this is trivial.

But the GOP has set the rules for campaigning and politiking in the last 20 years by bringing up the most inane and trivial BS as something significant in lieu of more weighty things like issues.

We are simply following the new rules that the GOP established.

You have obviously sunk to their level. Why would you do such a thing? That is the most irresponsible thing we can do. It is also a cop-out. You should grow up and take responsibility and stop advocating public discourse that follows their low standards. Shame on you.

I dunno. I don't hear anybody on here advocating the assassination of Romney. We're talking about what a slime he is for what he did to his dog ON A BLOG! I don't see how that compares with their brand of discourse at all (see Ann Coulter on Hardball).

Even that said, again, many Republicans are going to be horrified to hear about this. Animal lovers are incredibly diverse. So we are not the only ones who are or will be making hay about this, believe me.

pine nut @ 102:

Cantor de Mambo @ 84:

I don't think he was ever going for the PETA vote. Yawn.

I would not underestimate the sentiments Republicans who love and dote on their pets. Some of them are evangelicals, btw, who would rather be caught with a hooker than vote for a Mormon.

Two strikes!!

But they won't have sex with the hooker standing up, because they're afraid people will think they're dancing.

[...] Steve Benen: Massachusetts 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. [...]

What about having a wife that got drunk and ran over a boyfriend, and in your past you're not only a deserter but also pushed the suicide of someone who accused you of rape?

Or for that matter coming from a family that got rich working for the Nazis?

--PT

Mitt Romney’s Newest Problem: Inhumane Treatment Of Family Dog Revealed

I’m really starting to worry about this “Mitt” guy. No, I’m not really worried that he’s going to become our next President; I would seriously hope we are smarter than that; I’m more worried about him being a menace...

Serial Killers often abuse animals too. What an asshole you are Romney.

Can someone explain to me how this is so different from putting a dog in the back of a pickup truck...
At least he had the sense to strap the dog to the rooftop, most dog owners (especially back then) simply let their dogs loose in the back of a truck...
I ride a motorcycle. I saw a truck ahead of me with a dog in the back...some kind of ugly looking german shepherd mutt mix...he didn't like me, or maybe he liked me too much...but as I passed the truck, the dog started barking at me (uncontrollably) and as I continued to pass the truck, the dog "came at me" and launched himself out of the back of the truck...
Something that dogs don't understand about momentum...and physics in general is that when you leave the truck, you will slow down...so I was moving at about 70 mph in a 65, and this dog jumps out at me and promptly falls to his death on the freeway.
Why don't we go whine about those dog owners, instead of someone who set up a "safe" environment for their dog while traveling.

[Your "concern" is touching and bogus]

Efialtis @ 113:

Can someone explain to me how this is so different from putting a dog in the back of a pickup truck...
At least he had the sense to strap the dog to the rooftop, most dog owners (especially back then) simply let their dogs loose in the back of a truck...
I ride a motorcycle. I saw a truck ahead of me with a dog in the back...some kind of ugly looking german shepherd mutt mix...he didn't like me, or maybe he liked me too much...but as I passed the truck, the dog started barking at me (uncontrollably) and as I continued to pass the truck, the dog "came at me" and launched himself out of the back of the truck...
Something that dogs don't understand about momentum...and physics in general is that when you leave the truck, you will slow down...so I was moving at about 70 mph in a 65, and this dog jumps out at me and promptly falls to his death on the freeway.
Why don't we go whine about those dog owners, instead of someone who set up a "safe" environment for their dog while traveling.

[Your "concern" is touching and bogus]

It is no different. Some states say dogs must be secured in the bed, and I think some specify crates (I think WA state has a secure law).
Dogs riding in the back of pickups and even inside cars should be restrained, to prevent them from being launched like missiles when the brakes are slammed on, if for no other reason.
Dogs in truck beds get their eyes pummeled with debris, as do dogs who are allowed to stick their heads out the window. Dogs can be decapitated sticking their heads out the window. And I would feel awful if I'd allowed my dog to sit on my lap and have her crushed between me and my steering wheel/airbag.

And as you know, unrestrained dogs can lauch themselves from the back of the bed. Just because dumb arsed okies do it is no reason for this other shit Mitt Romney did. Had he conditioned his dog for the ride (You know, strapped it on top of the roof several times for shorter rides)? Did the dog have water? Do you know how evaporating wind is? And the rate of sway on top of the vehicle?

Mitt Romney is an unthinking arsehole, just like the POS in charge now. We really do not need another cold, compassionless POS in charge, now, do we?

LongTooth @ 1:

Cat killers and dog abusers. That's todays GOP for you!

Poor judgement definitely. But it was 24 years ago. It wasn't today. He did not strap his kid up there. It's a freaking animal. Again poor judgement, but seriously...

Gregory @ 118:

miss_kitty,
It looks like they rounded up the Bicycle Brigade to defend poor little Mitt. I usually just ask them to leave their literature and get off my porch.

Yeah Gregory. I'm am not one for conspiracy theories, but when a bunch of posters come by and say "It's JUST an animal" or "dogs ride in truck beds" and "Jeez this happened soo long ago," all at once I gotta wondered. This post must be linked on an 'I LURVE MITTENS' site.

Shit. what morons. In general.

Romney dismissed any outcry about the 24-year-old incident, saying the dog enjoyed his rooftop perch.

"He scrambled up there every time we went on trips," Romney said at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh Thursday. "He got it all by himself and enjoyed it."

What a jerk.

Just What I Think @ 16:

LongTooth said, "Cat killers and dog abusers. That’s todays GOP for you!"

And George Bush blew up frogs as a kid.
http://www.all-creatures.org/aip/nl-3nov2000-frogs.html

This animal abuse seems to be a pattern with the GOP!

Tom Doff @ 5:

What's all the fuss about? Car-top carriers are common with Mormons, it's the way they transport 'extra' wives. ('Extra' wives are those who were not chosen for the night, and act sullen about it, or those who have fallen into disfavor with the 'head' wife (du jour)).

There haven't been reports of the 'car-top wives' raining excrement down upon the husband's car, but now that the red-head dog has given them the precedent, who knows what the future may hold?

It scares me that he would actually print this. The man has no clue that this is not normal behavior. Unbelievable and very scary. What a heartless putz.

Anon @ 123. I totally agree with your comment.

There is so much self interest that the important issues are being kept on the back page.

Get a grip, Romeny's dog traveling habbits are no different then when I was growing up. Cars did not come with air conditioning. We would leave on our family vacation with all the windows down for a solid 16 hours per day drive, for 3 days straight to make it from Chicago to Ca to visit familiy.

It was hot, the wind was beating through the car, it was so loud we couldn’t talk to each other.
The windows were down, no seat belts, no car seats. It's wonderful that our country has been so affluent that we can make changes to improve safety and people can afford it.

If you have dig back 24 years to find something to complain about, and something completely normal at the time, and also has nothing to do with how he would lead our country, it looks like desperation.

I'm 38. When I was a kid we never used childseats. I sat in the FRONT seat as a kid! OMG arrest my mom !

The point is, as long as you waste time on something like this, you're not talking about the real issues.

Drop the personal attacks and try focussing on why you disagree with his political stances on issues and maybe you'll have a case.

If you truly are concerned with our country and helping it move forward, discuss the actual political stances of the candidates. That way we can all make an assessment of what the actual impact the next President will have. What issues will they push forward? Which ones will they try to stop? These are the things that matter and will impact us greatly.

The more you look for personal attacks and smear campaigns the more you hurt an open discussion so that we can all make a truly informed decision about our next President.

Time to bring back the UNfairness doctrine. I can't get my views expressed here CENSOESHIP CENSORSHIP!!. I NEED the governments meddling!!! ANN COULTER FOR PREDIDENT!!!

Rastaman @ 74:

OMG, who gives a shit if he left a dog on the top of a car?

Has anyone here ever seen a dog kennel, or the pet cargo hold on an airplane?

Geez, some people are looking for the smallest, most insignificant thing to make politicians look bad.

How about we stick to what's important and talk about Romney's terrible political views?

What if Mother Teresa left her dog out at night in the cold? See how dumb this gets?

Rastman, yes it gets very dumb. Mother Teresa would have probably used her BRAIN and not let a dog out at night in the cold (not to mention strapping the poor thing to the car on a 12-hour trip). Let's see, do you know what a brain is? Have u ever used it?