T he world has gone doggone ape over President-elect Barack H. Obama.  Nobody can say bad things about him anymore, especially about the color of his skin because that can be misconstrued as a racist, bigoted, politically-incorrect remark.  That’s kind of scary to me.  Shoot me, but don’t muzzle me, please.

In Italy and in many parts of Europe and here in America, people reacted with shock and outrage after Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy called the first African-American president-elect in U.S. history as “young, handsome … and sun-tanned.”

The word, “sun-tanned” didn’t go too well to a lot of people that many Italian newspapers gave the comment front-page attention to condemn the prime minister.  They said that Mr. Berlusconi is an “imbecile” and “infantile” and a “psychological case” and one who “never fails to live up to our worst expectations.”

Mr. Berlusconi, who is a multi-billionaire and one of the richest men in Europe, said that his remark about Mr. Obama was a “compliment” and that his critics “lack irony,” telling them that “if you all want to get a degree in IDIOCY, I won’t stop any of you.  I say whatever I think.”

“The Italian left is wrong about everything,” Prime Minister Berlusconi added, “including their lack of sense of humor.  Too bad for them … God save us from imbeciles.”

Hmmm.  I like this guy.  He is a real Italian stallion.  A fellow BARAKO.  Big balls and all.  He speaks his mind.  A true “DAWG.” 

Just in case y’all don’t know what a dawg is, in the ‘hood lingo, a dawg is an all right guy, a cool guy, a fair guy, a good looking guy … yeah, he can be suntanned and all, too, like Barack O., y’all know what I am saying?

ON MUTTS AND SUCH: In his first news conference since winning the presidency, Mr. Obama said his top concern is passage of a multibillion-dollar stimulus package to create jobs, and to lend a helping hand to America’s teetering auto-making industry.  He also said he would tackle the nation’s financial crisis “head-on.”

Well and good then.

During this conference, Mr. Obama also talked about picking the First Dog for the First Daughters of the First Family.  He promised his daughters, Malia, 10 and Sasha, 7, a puppy after the election, and “finding one has become a major issue,” said Obama.  Malia has allergies, so the Obamas are looking for a low-allergy dog that can also be a “rescue dog.”  Malia reportedly wants a “golden-doodle’ dog. 

Mr. Obama said that his family would prefer to adopt a puppy from the dog pound.  And in an apparent self-deprecating humor that referred to his mixed-race heritage said that “hopefully we’d pick out a MUTT, just like me.”

So, THE MAN describes himself as a “mutt.” 

So … if Ms. Hillary is the “bitch” and Bill Clinton is the “Big Dog” and Gov. Sarah Palin is the “pit-bull with lipstick on” and VP Dick Cheney is “Bush’s attack dog” and  all those lefty TV pundits of CNN, NBC, MSNBC, ABC and CBS are the “Obama lap dogs,” I wonder what kind of a dawg is Michelle O?  Does it begin with a letter “D,” perhaps, as in Doberman?

Or, would that be unthinkable for many?  And, racist.  And, inappropriate.  And, bigoted.  And, politically incorrect.  And, etcetera, etcetera …

I like dogs.  They’re amazing creatures, I think.  Many dog years ago, before I became a deputy sheriff and worked in security as a canine handler, my employers gave me a German Shepherd as a working partner.  His name was “Bandit.”  Once a week for many, many weeks, I trained with Bandit.  Though this dog was supposed to be a work dog and an attack dog, he was very gentle and very affectionate and he liked children.  Bandit, at my command then, could instantly turn into a killer and rip anybody’s throat apart.  He could also sniff drugs, and chase and take down, with any problem at all, a fleeing felon.  Bandit not only became a working partner, but also a friend.  I had to give him up when I joined the Martin County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy.  I remember that day when Bandit and I separated as a very lonesome day for me.

Editor’s Notes: Readers may like to read articles in this website
 that are about dogs and “dogmestic (sic) violence.” These are the links to the said articles:

China Continues “Dogmestic Violence”

Michael Vick Can Never Be Guilty of "Dogmestic Violence" in the Philippines (As Updated)  

MAXIE AND CHLOE: My wife’s niece, Cherry Ann, who lives in Vancouver, Canada, owns a bulldog.  It’s the ugliest bulldog I’ve ever seen.  And the cuddliest, with a patience for humans, like the patience of Job.  My wife would use this dog as her footstool whenever we would visit Cherry Ann.  When I first met this dog, I scratched her behind her ears and rubbed her belly.  Then she sniffed at me.  I guess she liked the way I smell, because from that day on, whenever we were in Cherry Ann’s house visiting, that dog would follow me around, smitten like a puppy

Cherry Ann named this bulldog, Bertucci, you know, like the name of that world-famous Italian soccer player, Bertucci … “Too-zie,” for short.  But this dog was so ugly and cuddly, that the Too-zie didn’t really suit her.  So, I renamed her, “Maxie,” in honor of Max Alvarado, that famed-and-ugly favorite kontrabida (villain) of Philippine movies in the 1960s.  So, Too-zie is now Maxie.

Then, there’s “Chloe,” a pure-bred Yorkie, owned by my son, Chris, who is now a reporter for CBS/KGAN in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and his girlfriend, Jaclyn Rostie, who is also a broadcast journalist for NBC in Davenport, Iowa.

Talking about cuddly dogs, Chloe was made to be cuddled and petted and played with.  Her favorite game is the tug of war, with her biting the other end of a tightly-rolled cloth and the other player, a human preferably, pulling the other end of the cloth.

She’s a real doll, long-haired, does not shed, sweet smelling … a doll, indeed, just like her mistress, and handsome, just like her master. 

What’s amazing about Chloe is her little tinker bell and time-out chair.  When she needs to go outside to pee or whatever, she rings a bell that’s installed by the door.  When the door is opened for her, out she goes, then returns, wipe her paws and comes in.  And when she “misbehaves,” and is told to go sit on her time-out chair, she obeys quickly, then she looks at you with those doll-like eyes, as if to say: “Hey, is it time yet?  Can I get off now from this stupid chair?”

Maxie and Chloe, they’re real dawgs, I tell ya.  They both kill me.  You may ask: what about THAT ONE who proclaimed himself as a MUTT?  He, too, is a dawg, I think, “sun-tanned” and handsome and all … and though I don’t go doggone ape over him, nonetheless, I really wish him doggone well.  In fact, to honor him as the President-elect, I’ve adopted a mutt from the dog pound and named this mutt, “BHO.”  JJ