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Wilson:
Adam Wilson Blog

Adam Wilson expounds on Washington state government, workers and politics. Wilson began covering those issues for the Olympian in 2004. He can be reached at: awilson@theolympian.com.

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Sic ‘em

• Published July 17, 2008

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Say what you will about the candidates, they're faithful to their dogs. Really zealous about it, actually.

Today GOP candidate Dino Rossi’s camp expresses outrage that Democrat Chris Gregoire would impune his faithful dog, much as Gregoire rallied to the defense her dog Franz a couple years ago.

First, Rossi’s claim:

At a fundraiser today with Michelle Obama, Governor Christine Gregoire continued her attacks on Rossi – except this time it wasn’t on his record or his heritage, but about his dog.

Gregoire said during her speech: "In fact, he is so enamored with George W. Bush he has named his dog [Dubya]. I feel sorry for the dog. …"

"People in Washington want a candidate who will fix problems in our state, not an incumbent Governor who spends her time attacking her opponent’s dog. We’re going to keep talking about issues that matter like controlling spending, fixing our traffic congestion problem, and improving our schools," said Jill Strait, Rossi spokesperson.

Responding to attacks on one's pooch is actually a important skill set for a politician. Compare Rossi's play to the opening shots in Gregoire’s 2006 State of the State:

While the fifth member of our family isn’t with us, in light of recent days I’d like to paraphrase from a speech delivered in 1944 by President Franklin Roosevelt.

Some have not been content with attacks on me, or my spouse, or on my daughters. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Franz.

Well, of course, I don't resent attacks, and my family doesn't resent attacks, but Franz does resent them.

You know, as soon as he learned that the fiction writers had concocted a story he couldn’t defend himself and was a cost to taxpayers, his Pomeranian soul was furious.

He has not been the same dog since.

Our family dog Franz has a real kinship with FDR’s dog Fala.

This was in response to Republican criticism of efforts by the state to protect the Pomeranian from fierce coyotes in the neighborhood of the mansion. Sadly, Franz was killed while the Gregoire’s attended the Seahawks Superbowl game that year.

The family was given a new dog, a shiba inu named Trooper. He was related to Republican Sen. Cheryl Pflug’s dog Jack, who was also killed tragically, by a bobcat. And there was a Dogs of the Republican Caucus wall calendar in 2007.

That’s a lot of canine crossfire. But the most famous dog defense may have been by President Nixon, in his Checkers speech.

"The kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it,” Nixon said.