Romney's Treatment of Family Dog On 1983 Vacation Becomes [2008 Campaign] Issue

Boston Globe ^ | Friday, June 29, 2007 06:31 PM | James F. Smith

[hardback]

The Globe's disclosure this week that Mitt Romney put his Irish setter into a dog carrier on the roof of his station wagon for a 12-hour trip to Ontario in 1983 has become a surprising flashpoint in the presidential campaign.

TIME.com has been flooded with more than 200 comments from readers complaining of animal cruelty, YouTube viewers have posted videos, and hundreds of blogs are brimming with opinions.

For some, the story has become an occasion to consider larger issues of ethics and animal abuse. Romney, who has built an image as a strong manager, is now facing concerns about his ability to empathize with the less powerful, in this case, his dog, Seamus, riding atop his station wagon.

"I'll admit that I`m coming from a dog-centric point of view," Tucker Carlson, the conservative pundit, said Thursday on MSNBC. "But I'm feeling that maybe Mitt Romney lost my vote here. Do you need to be a PETA member to be disturbed by the fact that this guy put a dog on the roof of his car? Does that bother you?"

For some critics, the answer was yes.

Family members told the Globe that Romney attached a special windshield onto Seamus' carrier to protect him from the wind. Romney was traveling that summer with his wife, five sons, and Seamus to his parent's cottage on Lake Huron.

But hours into the ride, Seamus apparently suffered diarrhea, which ran down the back window of the car. Romney's sons, all under 13, howled in disgust. Romney pulled off the road into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, and they drove on to Ontario.

[Clara Lou]

Enough, already. Enough.

[Clara Lou]

Make that “Enough, newbie.” Are you a troll?

[beltfed308]

No fan of Romney but this is beyond petty.

[ChocChipCookie]

TIME.com has been flooded with more than 200 comments from readers complaining of animal cruelty,

WHOA! A whole 200????

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

He’ll treat those who elect him much worse than he treats his dog.

[the invisib1e hand]

my brother went around the US for months on a motorcylce (Kawasaki 900-Z1) with a custom-made open trailer (way before it was commonplace) in which rode his dog Beano and, back then people really dug it. Beano dug it, too.

Politics is fad and nothing else. I'd never vote for anyone from Mass, let alone Romney, but if I weren't so disinclined, this might actually endear him to me.

[cherry]

I don’t like the man but this is ridiculous......

[BenLurkin]

Old news.

[B.O. Plenty]

Desperately digging.

If this is the worst that Mr. Smith can dig up, he is wasting his time.

[BenLurkin]

Indeed!

This thread is likely to get more than 200 — especially if the kittens are called.

[HerrBlucher]

Looks to me like the dog was scared sh**tless up there on the roof and definitely NOT having a good time. Bad human Mitt...BAD....BAD...

[italianquaker]

this makes him look bad and the media will not let it go away

[TAP ONLINE]

I vaguely remember that Hillary had a piece of property in the Whitewater deal. It was sold to a black family. The man became ill and fell one payment behind. His wife contacted the lenders and found out that missing one payment forfeited the property to the lenders. Hillary got the property back. The whitewater corporation was the lender. Treated that family like a dog. Guess it does not count when a Democrat who cares does it

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

The dog needed only to have his back to the wind if the wind bothered him. Has no one seen dogs stick their heads out of car windows? Granted a higher speed would be a lot of wind, but the dog could lie down and close his eyes and it would have been enough. He is covered in fur. With his back to the wind it would not have been an issue at all. And anyone who knows dogs knows that if he had been miserable, he would have barked liked crazy and got the change he needed.

This is stupid. I don't want Romney to win (please no!) but I do not favor trumped up charged against anyone. The roof may not have been the best place, but at least they had their dog with them. How many people cage their dog at some shelter for their vacations?

[DieselHoplite]

“”Tucker Carlson, the conservative pundit, said Thursday on MSNBC. “But I’m feeling that maybe Mitt Romney lost my vote here.”

LOL Tucker Carlson is a joke. He’s been bashing Romney for months now. Ya sure he just lost his vote. The MSM is just getting more and more discredited with each day that goes by.

[Condor51]

Romney Is Griswold!

Remember that famous scene in National Lampoon’s Vacation where Clark Griswold is pulled over by a policeman for dragging Aunt Edna’s disgusting mutt behind the car for several miles? Well, it turns out that GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney had a similar episode on a family vacation of his own. He even had his own “family truckster,” albeit a better color!

(From the Boston Globe) - 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.

…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.

In English - who gives a shiite. He's human, whoopee!
And what's next, he once flushed a Goldfish down the toilet?

[Aria]

Really? One payment? I never heard about that...if a Republican had done that it would have been front page, headlines, above the fold NYT, lead story on the TV.....

They get away with murder....they’re sociopaths. No remorse at all for who they run over to get what they want.

[elizabetty]

Indeed, this is the most burning issue facing us.

Pay no attention to that Burning Airport in Scotland, a dog was exposed to fresh air 30 years ago.

[HerrBlucher]

The fact that the dog had diahrea indicates to me he was scared. Most dogs love to be in the back of a pick up but probably not tied down to the top of the car in a small cage. Its possible that the dog could have been made to get used to it by taking him on small rides at first then longer and longer....each time giving the dog lots of comfort and affection after the ride.

This sort of reminds me of LBJ picking up his beagles by the ears....he got a lot of flak for that IIRC.