Who2 Editorial Blog

Notes and Commentary from the Editors

Friday, June 19, 2009

Bo's Shame

Cute new "baseball card" for the First Dog released by the White House today.

But what's this?

"Even though Bo is a Portuguese Water Dog, he doesn't know how to swim."

How humiliating for him. Did the White House really need to trumpet the failings of this poor dog?

If Bo starts having nervous accidents in the Oval Office, I think we'll be able to trace the trauma right back to this "Official White House portrait" by Chuck Kennedy.

Labels: The First Dog

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 8:02 PM Share on Facebook 0 comments

Sunday, April 12, 2009

First Photos of the First Dog

This is the first shot of the First Dog, Bo, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The paper credits the shot to Pete Souza, the Chief Official White House Photographer. It was apparently taken at a getting-to-know-you session Bo had with the Obamas a few weeks ago.

More details here.

Souza is an interesting guy himself: an Ohio University professor, on leave of absence to handle the top job at the White House. Here's his bio.

Labels: Pete Souza, The First Dog

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 6:24 AM Share on Facebook 0 comments

The New First Dog is a Puppy Named Bo

He's named Bo.

The identity of the first puppy -- the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months, the one President Obama has seemed to delight in dropping hints about -- leaked out Saturday.

The little guy is a six-month-old Portuguese water dog given to the Obama girls as a gift by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts. Malia and Sasha named it Bo.

Breaking news from The Washington Post.

Bo is six months old. His markings include a "white chest, white paws and a white goatee." He met the First Family in a top-secret meeting at the White House a few weeks ago.

The only unfortunate part of the whole affair is the tendency of breed owners to call the dogs "Porties." But ah, well.

Says The Post:

Malia and Sasha chose the name, because their cousins have a cat named Bo and because first lady Michelle Obama's father was nicknamed Diddley, a source said. (Get it? Bo ... Diddley?)

Labels: Barack Obama, Bo Diddley, Malia Obama, Michelle Obama, Sasha Obama, Ted Kennedy, The First Dog

Posted by Mr. Holznagel at 5:17 AM Share on Facebook 0 comments

Saturday, April 11, 2009

First Dog Coming Soon?

The Daily News says yes.

The First Family will reportedly welcome a black Portuguese Water Dog puppy to the White House on Tuesday... The future First Dog is reportedly a 6-month-old male pup which was returned to a kennel by its first owners.

[Update: It's official!]

Which gives us the chance to offer this wonderfully silly video one more time.