URGENT CRATE-GATE UPDATE - Did Romney Lie About the Fate of Seamus?

[Sam Spade]

From the only political organization I'm supporting this election (other than Ron Paul, maybe, or the Libertarians)...

http://www.dogsagainstromney.com/

Which links to this article...

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/01/crate-gate-plot-twist-did-seamus-run-away/48116/

on a story in PolitickerNY...

http://www.politickerny.com/2012/01/31/did-mitt-romneys-dog-seek-asylum-in-canada/

Did Colin Campbell break this story?
Mitt Romney may not have told the whole truth about the scandalous tale of his Irish Setter, Seamus, being strapped to the roof of his car during a 12-hour family road trip to Canada. According to a trusted Politicker tipster, two of Mr. Romney’s sons had an off-record conversation with reporters where they revealed the dog ran away when they reached their destination on that infamous journey in 1983.

Mr. Romney’s wife, Ann, has previously said Seamus survived the trip and went on to live to a “ripe old age.” As of this writing, Mr. Romney’s campaign has not responded to multiple requests for comment on this story.

Seamus’ story first came to light in a 2007 Boston Globe profile of Mr. Romney that told the story of the voyage to his father’s cottage in the gated Beach O’ Pines community on Ontario’s Lake Huron:

    “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. … 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.

According to the Globe, Mr. Romney told his family he would “be making predetermined stops for gas, and that was it,” but one of his sons, Tagg, eventually noticed something was amiss:

    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.

Mr. Romney responded to his dog’s defecation by “coolly” stopping at a gas station where he “borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway” with Seamus strapped back on the roof.

The Globe initially presented the story as an example of Mr. Romney’s “emotion-free crisis management,” but the incident has enraged many animal lovers and caused many issues on the campaign trail. Seamus inspired an attack ad from Mr. Romney’s Republican rival Newt Gingrich, a “Google bomb” coining “Romney” as a verb meaning “to defecate in terror,” a mocking Tweet from President Barack Obama’s advisor, David Axelrod, and, of course, an angry statement from PETA.

At a campaign stop in Pittsburgh the day after the Globe story ran, Mr. Romney dismissed the tale as a smear from PETA.

“You know, PETA has not been my fan over the years,” he 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.”

Mr. Romney also argued Seamus enjoyed traveling on top of the car.

“He scrambled up there every time we went on trips,” Mr. Romney said. “He got it all by himself and enjoyed it.”

Mr. Romney and his wife clearly want the world to think that, despite defecating himself, Seamus had a pleasant trip to Canada and a long life in the Romney household. However, based on what Mr. Romney’s sons allegedly told reporters about Seamus going on the lam in Canada, Seamus didn’t like being strapped to the car enough to stick around for the return trip.

[Lief 🗽]

Mitt Romney is a sick, sick person.

[Politico]

Keep pushing this. What are you going to do when there are family videos that prove the dog loved getting up into that crate, and plenty of videos showing the kids and Mitt having a good, loving time with a healthy, well-groomed dog?

But keep pushing this until private family videos are forced to be released, along with the veterinary death certificate (!). God, if you people blow this up into something this big you are going to be laughingstocks by the time the dust settles. And you thought Trump looked bad after Obama released his birth certificate...

Oh, and push the class warfare rhetoric, too, which is also going to backfire for other reasons that will be abundantly clear by September.

I can understand why Team Obama cannot run on "hope and change" again, but maybe they should try to convince the public that their record is worthy of re-election? Why not do that?

[Lincoln Republican]

These sorry attacks on Romney is what are sick, sick.

Get a life!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Well done to that Campbell lad, whoever he is.

[Simfan34]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Romney thinks that he can balance the budget by lowering taxes across the board and increasing military spending. He's either a delusional moron or a craven liar.

[Sam Spade]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or [torturing] your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Those are two good reasons to disqualify candidates.

[Simfan34]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Romney thinks that he can balance the budget by lowering taxes across the board and increasing military spending. He's either a delusional moron or a craven liar.

I can understand that, and I agree with it actually- it's the latter.

[Torie]

We are down to a man and his dog circa 40 years ago are we?

[Eraserhead]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Romney being a piece of human garbage is an actual issue.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or [torturing] your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Those are two good reasons to disqualify candidates.

Sam Spade is a bigot but he's a correct bigot.

[bgwah]

I've never put a political bumper sticker on my truck, but I'm seriously considering getting of those "I Ride Inside" ones... Do you guys think I should?

[Mr. Morden]

Seamus trutherism seems like a fantastic internet meme waiting to happen.

[Ebowed]

'My dog likes fresh air'... how can anyone possibly be so out of touch?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Stop this disguisting anti-Mormon bigotry now!

[Ljube]

This is just terrible!
Animal torture!

And to those claiming that the dog loved getting up in the crate, that's just not true. He wasn't given a choice. If allowed to choose, dogs prefer riding inside. You know, being with their human family. And yes, they do like fresh air, but through an open window and not all the time.

[Politico]

We are down to a man and his dog circa 40 years ago are we?

Yeah, it goes to show you how desperate they are to find dirt on Mitt.

Mitt even made a custom windshield for his dog's crate, for crying out loud. Mark my words: They definitely have video and pictures to prove the dog was well taken care of and enjoyed the pimped out crate. Hopefully the Dems will keep pushing this until it snowballs into something huge. They'll eventually look like Donald Trump after Obama released his birth certificate.

[Torie]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.

Romney being a piece of human garbage is an actual issue.

That must be why I like Mittens. You know, one "piece of garbage" binds with another.

[Napoleon]

I've never put a political bumper sticker on my truck, but I'm seriously considering getting of those "I Ride Inside" ones... Do you guys think I should?

You drive a truck?!?!

[Sam Spade]

I felt sorry for Seamus, so I friended him on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/SeamusRomney

[BigSkyBob]

We are down to a man and his dog circa 40 years ago are we?

Yeah, it goes to show you how desperate they are to find dirt on Mitt.

Mitt even made a custom windshield for his dog's crate, for crying out loud. Mark my words: They definitely have video and pictures to prove the dog was well taken care of and enjoyed the pimped out crate. Hopefully the Dems will keep pushing this until it snowballs into something huge. They'll eventually look like Donald Trump after Obama released his birth certificate.

Please! Romney would be an ever bigger idiot than I think he is to have a press conference featuring videos of him with his dog in a crate on the top of his car. "I am not an animal abuser!" is going to go over about as well as Nixon's, "I am not a crook!"

[Politico]

We are down to a man and his dog circa 40 years ago are we?

Yeah, it goes to show you how desperate they are to find dirt on Mitt.

Mitt even made a custom windshield for his dog's crate, for crying out loud. Mark my words: They definitely have video and pictures to prove the dog was well taken care of and enjoyed the pimped out crate. Hopefully the Dems will keep pushing this until it snowballs into something huge. They'll eventually look like Donald Trump after Obama released his birth certificate.

Please! Romney would be an ever bigger idiot than I think he is to have a press conference featuring videos of him with his dog in a crate on the top of his car. "I am not an animal abuser!" is going to go over about as well as Nixon's, "I am not a crook!"

Obviously the kids would leak the videos/pictures, and talk about how much they loved Seamus the family dog.

If the Dems try and make this is a huge issue, and considering the birther issue who can say what is what in this hyperpartisan environment, it will backfire.

[Хahar 🤔]

Is this really something we're talking about? Good god.

[Vote UKIP!]

Goodness, this country- we just look for anything to disqualify a candidate, whether it be being an atheist Muslim or your dog- it's almost funny how we try to avoid the actual issues.