The First Pooch bites a Reuters reporter:
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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.
Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.
So many bastards, so little time.
Democracy is not a spectator sport.
If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.
Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.
Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.
Today’s gop: why go just far enough when too far is right there?
Motto for the House: Flip 5 and lose none.
People are complicated. Love is not.
Second rate reporter says what?
We do not need to pander to people who do not like what we stand for.
I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.
I’m more christian than these people and i’m an atheist.
Balloon Juice, where there is always someone who will say you’re doing it wrong.
The republican caucus is covering themselves with something, and it is not glory.
The gop is a fucking disgrace.
Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?
America is going up in flames. The NYTimes fawns over MAGA celebrities. No longer a real newspaper.
Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.
Seems like a complicated subject, have you tried yelling at it?
I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.
Hot air and ill-informed banter
When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.
Shibby
Wow, even his dog is an asshole.
Comrade Napoleon
Barney is yesterday’s news. Lets start talking about the next first dog.
obamafamilydog.com/
kommrade jakevich
Are you sure it wasn’t Palin?
MeDrewNotYou
Go easy on Barney! He was tired and wondering, "Why the hell are these people bugging me?!" He obviously had the "Leave me alone," look. Dogs aren’t the most subtle of creatures.
Besides, the little guy is adorable. I would go so far as to say that Barney is the only good thing in the Bush White House.
maxbaer (not the original)
You go Barney! Hope you didn’t catch anything.
Atanarjuat
Bush Derangement Syndrome becomes Barney Derangement Syndrome.
You liberals are worse than any vicious dog; you just won’t let go of your hate.
– A Country Under Fire
John S.
Those fast running tears are delicious.
Conservatively Liberal
Your brain is on fire? Piss on it.
Rick Taylor
@Atanarjuat
First a country under siege, now a country under fire. Does that have anything to do with the election of Obama?
harlana pepper
In Barney’s defense, I saw how that dumbass stuck his hand in the dog’s face. That is not the way you approach a strange dog. Asstard pretty much asked for it.
PaulW
Harlana beat me to it. Yeah, that reporter was an asstard. You’re supposed to put your hand about 2-3 feet away, keep it steady, and let the dog sniff you. Then you can reach out and pet him.
I’m totally defending Barney on this one. Damn librul media.
NonyNony
Aw, leave the poor dog alone. He’s having a stressful day. Someone should tell him that he’s never going to have to do one of those awful Christmas videos again – that’d probably cheer the little guy up.
@Atanarjuat:
You, my friend, remain hysterical. You need your own blog. "Barney Derangement Syndrome" – heh.
Tom65
Scottish Terrier + Strange Man + Shoving A Hand In The Dog’s Face = LULZ
Team Barney!
Tattoosydney
@harlana pepper:
Hell yes – you could tell that Barney had his grumpy, "why the hell am I here" face on, and then the dickhead reporter thrust his hand at Barney’s face … the reporter is lucky he still has all his fingers…
We have an Australian red cattledog (who is very cute, but can’t get on the front page of Balloon Juice no matter how adorable the photos I send Cole are), and people constantly walk up to him, lean over and stick their face close to his…
HINT TO THESE PEOPLE: A dog interprets you thrusting your hand or your face at him as a threatening act. Dogs don’t thrust at each other unless they are attacking (or mating, but that’s usually from a different direction). You are going to get bitten – and deserve it.
Xenos
@Atanarjuat
– A Country Under Fire:
Wow, looking down the barrel at a 3% marginal income tax increase and the dude flips out. Scary, eh?
Geeno
You ALWAYS approach a strange dog keepin your handat least 1.5 feet away with hand palm up BELOW the dog’s snout level. Almost anything else is liable to regarded as threatening, and if you’re lucky, the dog will run away. If you’re not, well….
What an idiot.
Shinobi
Poor Barney dealing with incompetant fool reporters all day. I hope he went back inside and chased Mrs. Beazly around to blow off some steam.
Ben
About the only thing I like about George W. is that he has a dog named Barney.
The Pale Scot
Sure they’re handsome and photogenic,
balloon-juice.com/?p=12267
But Scotties are;
DEATH FROM THE ANKLES DOWN!
as has been noted, Barney was wishing very hard that those fools would go away, they were interrupting his walk.
Terriers aren’t golden retrievers, scotties have no problem making a snap decision that someone is an asshat.
jakester
How does one send an email to Michael D.?
The Pale Scot
Death From The Ankles Down!!
Terriers aren’t golden retrievers, scotties have no problem deciding someone’s an asshat and letting them know it, especially since Barney is probably sensing George’s mood and catching it.
Comrade Darkness
Antibiotics? What kind of pussyshit is that? Barney lives in the trash dumpsters, or what?
That is one unhappy dog, and one stupid reporter. But threatening move or not, I’ve seen well-adjusted dogs happily take far more crap from kids.
Krista
Exactly. Some people have absolutely no common sense and no idea as to how to approach a strange dog. You don’t just thrust your hand towards its face, not unless you want to seriously annoy the dog.
Blaming Barney is like when people get pissed off that their 7-year-old got nipped after tormenting some poor pooch to the point of insanity.
Shinobi
It was also the dog walker’s fault. They should have prevented him from approaching Barney. They even said he’d been biting people all day. It sounds like he is NOT a well adjusted dog and that this is pretty well known. (All the more reason not to try to pet him.)
Jay in Oregon
That reporter was a dumbass.
I concur with everyone who said that you don’t approach any strange dog that way unless you want to get bitten.
I feel sorry for Barney; the rest of us will get to see Bush’s back on 1/20/09, but Barney is stuck with him.
Duros Hussein 62
Well, sure. Look who he pals around with.
I’m totally on Barney’s side. Too bad it wasn’t Hugh Hewitt, though.
The Pale Scot
If by "well adjusted" you mean idiotically happy to see anyone who says his name, Scottish Terriers aren’t, they have very victorian attitudes about propriety and introductions, you don’t make friends with a scotty, they chose you.
JHD
Barney has just had it with the endless competition from the press lapdogs. Time to stake out his territory before he goes up for adoption when the play ranch is sold off.
Quaker in a Basement
Scotties in general–and Barney specifically–have a reputation for crankiness. The reporter got what he deserved.
The Pale Scot
@Quaker,
more like aloof, reserved, standoffish,
Pat
brings a whole new meaning to the term…"Screwin’ the pooch"
Nillin
Yes, the reporter was an idiot, but he was the normal sort of idiot that tries to pet strange dogs. Most dogs are socialized to meet new people, including the idiots. Some dogs aren’t cut out for meeting lots of people, but most dogs are somewhat social. Scottie or not, a professional dog trainer can teach a normal, healthy dog to be social.
I’m mad at the handlers for Barney. His handlers (directly or indirectly) encourage territorial behaviors.
Signs the handlers are fail:
They didn’t tell the reporters to stay away from Barney.
They had Barney on a choke collar. (Seriously?! He’s only 15 pounds!)
They didn’t tell Barney "NO".
What kind of hacks are inside the White House anyhow?