Pete Souza-The White House/Reuters
President Barack Obama pets Bo, a six-month old male Portuguese water dog, as daughters Sasha, Malia (r.) and First lady Michelle (l.) look on in this White House photograph released April 12, 2009.
Post scooped in Obama pup debut
By Dave Cook | 04.12.09
The Washington Post has had plenty of scoops over the years. But over the weekend, the paper of Woodward and Bernstein lost out to a previously unknown website on a warm and fuzzy White House exclusive.
Pictures of the Obama family’s new dog were unveiled not by the Post, which says it had been promised the first look at the presidential pooch, but on a site called http://firstdogcharlie.com.
The firstdogcharlie site ran pictures of the Obama’s 6-month-old Portuguese water dog on Saturday morning, along with word that the dog had been given to Malia and Sasha Obama by Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy.
Puppy pix
On Sunday morning, the Post ran side-by-side pictures on its front page of the firstdogcharlie’s images of the presidential dog and one from official White House photographer Pete Souza. The photos appeared to be identical: a cute pup with a black head and white paws wearing multicolored Hawaiian lei.
The Post said it was had been promised an exclusive on the dog — which the Obama daughters have named Bo – after losing an exclusive on Mrs. Obama’s plans to build a vegetable garden on the White House lawn to the New York Times.
Secret no longer
On Saturday evening, a White House aide told the Associated Press that the dog had not moved into the White House. The Post story said the puppy was being trained by Senator Kennedy’s dog trainers. It reportedly behaved well on a secret visit to the White House to meet the family.
When reporters asked President Obama Friday when the dog would be arriving, he replied, “Oh man. Now that’s top secret.”
No word on whether the Post now gets an exclusive on Bo digging in Michelle’s garden.
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2. David Binger | 04.12.09
Thank God we’ve got this behind us. I just would’nt be able to go another week without knowing what kind of dog the Obama’s picked.
3. Okpulot Taha | 04.12.09
Here is a scoop for you. The Obama dog is out of a Texas puppy mill.
Yesterday, while working outside, I listened to a radio talk show out of Los Angeles. This is the John and Ken show on KFI AM radio. A gal is interviewed. She discusses puppy mills over in Texas. She is documenting horrific conditions at puppy mills, especially in Texas.
Run a Google search using “texas puppy mills” as a search expression. You will be more than horrified by returned articles.
Puppy mill conditions in Texas are so bad a number of pending legislative bills are being considered to protect animals at puppy mills, by the Texas state government.
Kennedy and Obama have only served to contribute to this abhorrent treatment of dogs at puppy mills, regardless of state of origin.
Rather clear the Obama family is completely out of touch with reality.
I will bet my bottom dollar, and my bottom is big, I will bet a buck this Obama dog will display inbred mental retardation and will most certainly display ongoing health issues because of inbred genetic defects.
Mental retardation and health issues are a given with pure pedigree dogs and other animals.
For trivia, legs of race horses are as fragile as toothpicks. This is a result of inbreeding and this is why so many race horses break a leg and then are put to death.
Seems we love animals, love animals to death, quite literally.
However, we humans love this egotistical status symbol of a purebred animal, much more.
I will take a back alley stray cat anytime; I know humility and I genuinely love animals.
Okpulot Taha
Choctaw Nation
5. Angela | 04.12.09
I don’t care if you don’t publish this - it’s more of a question than a comment. Am I to understand that Michelle Obama is selling stories to the papers?
6. Bob D | 04.12.09
Of course, government officials had to fully Vet the dog before it is allowed in the White House.
7. Alexander | 04.12.09
Tanx God,now country has a first dog..
Our Capitan in hte hands of somaly pirats,
our president bow to soudi king,
but we have a DOG!!!! Hurey!!!!
8. Jimmy Carter | 04.12.09
If only you could get a scoop on a pony, you would have a dog & pony scoop!
10. Ted Ronson | 04.12.09
I’m sure the Obamas have a great dog, but it’s impossible to overlook the irony of being presented by Ted Kennedy with a dog bred to rescue people in the water. Did he say, “Just in case you drive off a bridge….”:
12. Sher | 04.12.09
Too bad just an ordinary dog wouln’t do…especially one who was unwanted otherwise… Anyway..all domesticated animals deserve a place to call home.
13. Steve Arnold | 04.12.09
As usual, I see the media chooses to focus on trivial trite. I like Obama but our media’s priorities leave a lot to be desired.
14. M. Gilbert | 04.12.09
It annoys me that this is news. With all that goes on everyday, why do we get fixated on what some other family has for a pet. Perhaps members of the media would be better suited pouring some of that energy into doing some good in the world. Think about it, does the fact that firstdogcharlie.com got the story before the post really have any bearing on any one’s life? What annoys me even greater is the fact that I wasted 8 minutes of my life reading this article and typing my opinion. Time, the only commodity that is not replaceable, wasted on the Obama’s dog……
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. Big Deal | 04.12.09
Obviously a family of animal lovers. Never heard of them having a pet until they stepped into the White House where it is almost required that they adopt a dog. Whatever.