“A White House press official was certain—the scoop on the poop was a crock. The press office checked with the Air Force One flight crew who said Bo had not desecrated the jet. Other big news beckoned: the health-care overhaul, rising unemployment and a debate over the war in Afghanistan. But we were nagged by a question—was the pile denial a White House cover up?” This is Peggy Noonan’s most prescient column yet. [PULITZER BAIT]

Everyone was very unkind to Bo Obama the dog, who celebrated his first birthday ever on October 9th. So Bo Obama was born last October, and then in April Ted Kennedy, not yet dead, bought the dog from a rescue shelter that was actually a reputable dog breeder and just gave him to Barack Obama. Anyway, Mazel Tov Bo Obama, also sorry, etc. but in retrospect it is probably a good thing that everyone was too distracted to offer up some TRULY WINNING bon mots about the President jumping the gun getting you a present for your second birthday. Chew on that—Richard Cohen’s wit—little puppy. [White House Blog]

Rush Limbaugh, grr! The other day he brought up on his radio show the oft-cited observation that your dog’s penicillin costs 25 cents while your own penicillin costs 25 dollars, which sucks for you, or something to that effect, and blah blah blah free markets and healthcare. WHATEVER. The point is his girlfriend has a very charming Old English Sheepdog that bears a startling resemblance to Bo Obama. However, this sheepdog will grow up to be a huge badass herding wookie, while Bo will just sort of look like a fucked-up Poodle, so Rush Limbaugh’s girlfriend clearly wins this round. (Also: Rush Limbaugh has a girlfriend?) [The Rush Limbaugh Show]

Our new president has some pretty messed up priorities, hoo boy! Did you notice that during his first 100 days in office he ended the recession and shook hands with tin-pot dictators and even got himself a fancy purebred dog, but did not have the time or the inclination to designate, say, a NASA administrator? This is the number one thing an incoming president is supposed to declare, no later than 5-10 minutes after taking the oath of office, and if he does not, then the world folds in on itself and time runs backwards. TRUE STORY. [True/Slant via Ben Smith]

ZOMBIE CUR TERRORIZES WHITE HOUSE: Oh yes speaking of Michelle Obama and her adorable talk with the cute childrens yesterday: “the president and his wife lie awake at night as they listen to the febrile skritching of a maniacal hell-hound chasing a ball up and down the hall, forever and ever, much like those creepy little girl ghosts in The Shining.” {Sara’s NBC Thing]

Have you every wondered how the Obama family manages to look so consistently classy and awesome while the rest of America farts around in terry cloth sweat pants, chewing on their hangnails and just resenting the hell out of anyone who’s fancy enough to shower twice a week? The Obamas owe their squeaky clean and generally adorable public image to … being naturally adorable. MORE »

Look, it’s the mangy half-breed street cur Ted Kennedy dropped on the Obamas’ doorstep the other night. He has been wormed. The Obama family showed him to the press yesterday to prove that they haven’t eated him, yet. [MSNBC]