Well now the elections are getting interesting. After leaving South Carolina on a rather bland note except for the debate in which Newt blasted all of the media for its protection of Barrack Obama, the fellas acted pretty much as any politicians before them.

There was a lot of handshaking and baby kissing and promises and of course the obligatory mud slinging toward the other candidates.

Now though, Herman, the guy who left the race because numerous women came out to accuse him of sexual harassment or of having an extra-marital affair with them has just publicly endorsed Newt.

Newt’s famous attack of a debate moderator when he was quizzed about asking his second wife for an open marriage gave him a brief surge and probably was what won him the nomination in our fair state.

However facts are facts, and Newt does have a not-soendearing habit of courting his next wife while still married to the current one. It really is a testimony to a certain lack of taste in the political world, if you ask me, which of course no one has. But if I were single and was on the look-out for a married politician…… nothing personal Newt, but it wouldn’t be you.

Politicians have a long history of marital indiscretions, and while some wives will “stand by their man” (Mrs. Weiner, Jackie O, and Hillary Clinton) many have just said “hit the road” (Arnold’s beloved Maria after that pesky maid incident) and consoled themselves with taking their cheating husbands to court and with a good lawyer, to the cleaners, financially.

But this week was a totally new tactic that I don’t ever remember being used before. Now that Mitt is back in the lead, the Obama camp (and a few Newt supporters) are circling the wagons. I mean that is the whole point of these elections anyway….the Republicans have to find someone to run against the current Democratic president and right now, although it could change on a dime, it’s looking like it might be Mitt.

I saw an ad the other morning where Mitt is being accused of mistreating the family dog.

WHAT???? Handsome, soft spoken Mitt and his lovely wife Anne are animal abusers?

Apparently, when the family traveled, the dog, Seamus, was put into a cage on top of the car and that’s how he gets to go on field trips. This incident allegedly happened years ago, but Mitt’s detractors are vigorously bringing it out again.

Mitt has been repeatedly interviewed by his supporters, and he said the dog “loved” his cage and “jumped into it all by himself.”

Really? A dog wants to ride on the roof without human contact? Hmmmm…..?

So I’m thinking…..What kind of cage is it? What kind of dog is it? (I think it was an Irish Setter.) Is there room for him to move? Does the dog get bathroom breaks? (One story recalls the dog being in his own wastes.) What about bad weather? Does the dog get wet in the rain? Is he hot in the summer? Cold in the winter? And while we all know dogs love to ride with their heads out of the window, ears and tongues flapping in the breeze, does the Romney pooch get bombarded by constant wind up on the roof? Was this a one time thing or was this how the dog always traveled?

There are a lot of unanswered questions here, and frankly, they bother me. The main one being why the heck can’t the dog ride in the car with the rest of the family? Surely if they were allergic they wouldn’t have the dog in the first place. And the Romney family could without doubt afford a larger car that would accommodate the dog.

I remember the Clinton/ Lewinsky scandal and the then Prez denied having sex with young Monica. Well whatever happened between Bill and Monica and Hillary, good or bad, leave or stay, sex or no sex, they were all adults able to make a choice.

The worst thing that came out of that, other than a spoiled dress and a tarnished reputation for Monica, was the popular joke that when a teenager came home late at night and is in a disheveled state of dress, if their outraged parents demanded to know if they had been indulging in sexual activities, the teens could smile and say “Not according to President Clinton.”

But…..doggie dilemmas in the Romney household are disturbing to me.

I never understood the attacks on Mitt because he was rich and made money. To me that was a good quality for a future president to have. I mean with the economy being what it is, a successful businessman might not be a bad idea for the country.

So far Mitt has been squeaky clean as far as being a family man and now that he’s released his taxes he seems pretty tidy on the business front.

But the sound bite of his telling someone that his dog “loves” to be carried in a crate on the top of the car and then another clip that shows Obama with his pooch sitting in the limo with him is quite a contrast. There’s the president with Bo looking out at Washington as they drive down (I’m guessing) Pennsylvania Avenue. Obama is looking lovingly at Bo, and I think he may even have a tender hand on Bo’s head. The caption says something like “How a Man Who Really Loves His Dog Travels.”

I know there are a lot of important issues out there for the next president, and I certainly don’t mean to make light of them.

But as for me, I think I’m going to have to hear from Mitt’s dog before November.

I’m just saying…….