One zebra, two bear cubs, a trout, four horses, several cows, a falcon, many dogs, no cats: that was the inventory, around press time, of Phoenix staff writer David S. Bernstein's latest Internet sensation, MAPOLIWITHANIMALS.TUMBLR.COM — yes, a Tumblr devoted to pictures of Massachusetts politicians posing with animals. The Zelig of this new blog is Toby G — an adorable pooch with a penchant for popping up in snapshots of countless local pols. We somehow managed to land the following mind-blowing exclusive interview with Toby. (Suck it, Boston Globe!)
AFTER PRESIDENT OBAMA ENDORSED GAY MARRIAGE, YOU TWEETED THAT IT WAS TIME YOU AND BO TIED THE KNOT. HEARD ANYTHING BACK? Bo is playing hard to get, but I imagine when you're Bo, you're getting more than one marriage proposal from another dog over Twitter. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself. Paws crossed for future developments. (Rose Garden wedding?!?)YOU'VE BEEN SPOTTED IN THE ARMS OF GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK, CITY COUNCILOR AYANNA PRESSLEY, STATE REP. CARLOS HENRIQUEZ, AND STATE SENATOR SONIA CHANG-DIAZ, TO NAME A FEW. WHO'S THE HEAVIEST PETTER? Councilor Ayanna Pressley, paws down. Ask any pooch in Boston, if you run into Ayanna at the dog park you're in for some grade-A tummy rubbing.
WE'VE GOT A BIG CHOICE TO MAKE THIS FALL: ARE YOU TEAM OTIS (ELIZABETH WARREN'S GOLDEN RETRIEVER) OR TEAM SNUGGLES (SCOTT BROWN'S SHIH TZU)? Otis, all the way. With Elizabeth's dogged commitment to the middle class, I feel confident she'll make sure all of my friends who lost their doghouses due to foreclosures may find relief. We need a US senator who won't roll over to corporate interests.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR PETS WHO WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? GOYOV: Get Out Your Owner's Vote. It's our job to make sure they get to the polls. On election day, when they take us for our morning walks, we need to pull them straight to the ballot box. Also, I always encourage the placement of campaign buttons on dog collars. Never underestimate the cute factor!
OKAY, LAST QUESTION. YOU DOGS MUST HAVE A GRAPEVINE: WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO SEAMUS? Let's just say that Mitt Romney is not a dog's best friend.
