Inside the Beltway

NEWS AND OPINION:

CRATE GATE

A paw of sympathy to Mitt Romney, perhaps: Dogs Against Romney unleash a rally at high noon Tuesday, just outside the prestigious Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden in New York. There will be dogs but no ponies. The group is protesting the oft-rehashed story that Mr. Romney once transported his dog Seamus in a crate on the roof of the family station wagon during a trip to Canada more than a quarter-century ago. Mr. Romney has already publicly addressed what’s been framed in the press as an animal cruelty issue.

“Though Dogs Against Romney does not officially endorse any candidate, the event will also serve to complement ’Pet Lovers for Obama’ — these two organizations share a common goal: That Mitt Romney never be president of the United States,” the organization says in a mission statement. Another motto proclaims, “Mean to dogs, unfit to be president.”

Democrats all? Maybe. The group offers merchandise, too — 136 items in all, like bumper stickers and dog bandanas that say “Mitt is mean” and “Dogs are not luggage.” The project originated with Scott Crider, a canny Alabama-based marketing entrepreneur and social media wizard who launched the effort in 2007, bills himself the “improbable pundit” and operate Watchdog Causes LLC.

He’s already attracted global coverage and millions of visitors to the site (DogsAgainstRomney.com) and its related social media. Whatever his political leanings, Mr. Crider will attract much panting press when he brings the Mitt mutts to the dog show. And that could nip Mr. Romney right in the campaign. Oh, yes. And now the cat people are joining in.

DEMINT SUMS UP

“President Obama’s just-released 2013 budget can be seen as two things. You can see it as a joke, just like his budget last year, which was voted down in the Senate 97 to nothing,” observes Sen. Jim DeMint, South Carolina Republican, on his blog.

“But as much as the president and his party hope the American people ignore this budget, it still represents the closest thing the public can get to the president’s true vision for the country. And that vision is very simple — $47 trillion more spending, $1.9 trillion in new taxes, and a national debt at the end of the decade of $25.9 trillion.

“The bottom line is that the president has spent three years and $4 trillion borrowed dollars Obama-fying our economy. … The president’s vision for the economy, and for the nation, is more of the same of what we’ve seen over the last three years. That may be change … but it’s hopeless.”

OH WOE IS US

“Do you think that a man-made catastrophe, such as a terrorist attack or economic collapse, would be more likely with a Democrat or Republican president in charge of the U.S.?” asks a cheeky new National Geographic poll. It’s close: 52 percent felt a GOPer would be leading the Free World, and 48 percent picked a Democrat.

The survey also found that 85 percent say the nation is not prepared for such events, while 27 percent agree “Earth will experience a major catastrophic event on December 21, 2012, as predicted by ancient calendars used by the Mayans.” Well, OK. See more results in today’s Poll du Jour at column’s end.

IT BOILS DOWN TO THIS

Do Republicans want to nominate a genuine conservative to run for the White House or someone who can defeat President Obama?

A stunning Pew Research Center poll released Monday finds 30 percent of Republican voters favor Rick Santorum while 28 percent support Mitt Romney. Currently, 42 percent of tea party Republicans favor Mr. Santorum, and 23 percent Mr. Romney. The findings are almost identical for both candidates among white evangelical Republicans. Mr. Obama, however, can still beat both of them by more than 10 percentage points, the survey found.

And most telling: 57 percent of Republicans still say the party will unite and back Mr. Romney, though an almost equal number are glad that the primary contest is continuing. See all the numbers here: www.people-press.org.

PLANET CLINTON

PBS is so exhilarated over an upcoming biography about Bill Clinton that it is sneaking it onto free apps for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch days before the first installment airs on “American Experience” on Monday — Presidents Day of course. There’s some Bill branding going on, and delicate legacy spinning for the former president, perhaps.

“The themes of William Jefferson Clinton’s life — promise and achievement followed by crisis and then comeback — are the recipe for the secret sauce of great drama,” says executive producer Mark Samels, who also describes Mr. Clinton as “charismatic and confounding.”

All that discord yields stature according to PBS, which says the production “explores how Clinton’s conflicted character made history, even as it enraged his enemies and confounded his friends.” Yes, early reports say the bio addresses the, uh, naughty bits — revealing that “25 women a day” came seeking Mr. Clinton when he was Arkansas governor. It also revisits his dalliance with White House intern Monica Lewinsky that ultimately led to impeachment hearings in 1998.

Curious? The free apps to view the first episode can be found here: www.pbs.org/services/mobile.

POLL DU JOUR

• 64 percent of Americans say a significant earthquake or hurricane will hit the U.S. in the next 25 years.

• 55 percent say we’ll have a terrorist attack, 51 percent “financial collapse,” 37 percent a “significant blackout.”

• 49 percent are prepared for such events.

• 45 percent have stocked up on food and water, 33 percent have a “go bag” of necessities, 26 percent have at least one weapon, 24 percent keep substantial cash on hand.

• 27 percent would resolve feuds with loved ones if they thought the world was ending the next morning, 24 percent would have sex.

• 20 percent would stock up on food, 6 percent would eat at a fancy restaurant.

Source: A National Geographic “Doomsday Preppers Survey” of 1,007 U.S. adults conducted Jan. 3-10 and released Monday.

• Barks, trumpeting, braying to jharper@washingtontimes.com.