Presidential pooch Barney wasn’t leaving the White House without a bite.

The black Scottish terrier snapped at Reuters television correspondent Jonathan Decker today, nipping the reporter’s right index finger as he leaned down to pet him.

“He totally got me,” Decker said after Barney snarled and snapped at him.

“Totally broke my skin. Well, now I have a story to tell.”

Barney, one of two terriers kept by the Bush family, was out for a walk when the incident occurred in the White House driveway. Another reporter captured the whole thing on videotape.

Decker was treated by a White House doctor, and wound up with a bandaged finger. He’ll remain on antibiotics for a few days while the wound heals.

Mills/AP

President George W. Bush holding Barney, who may be distrought that he’s now in the Lame Dog phase of his White House career.

Barack Obama was just minutes into his speech Tuesday to accept the presidency of the United States when he vowed to make good on a very important campaign promise — to get his daughters a White House puppy.

What kind of dog will the Obamas bring into the White House?

(Getty Images)
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Now it seems everyone has an opinion on what kind of pooch the Obamas should get and where they should get it from.

It’s a big decision. Many White House dogs — most presidents have had at least one — become celebrities in their own rights.

With the help of former first lady Barbara Bush, President George H.W. Bush’s springer spaniel, Millie, wrote her own best-selling book on the daily goings on at the White House.

And the public fawned over pictures of the Clintons’ lively chocolate Labrador retriever, Buddy, later grieving over his death in 2002 after he was hit by a car near the couple’s New York home.

Some White House dogs are much more than just pets. In many cases, the presidential pet helps shape the president’s image with the public.

US president-elect Barack Obama is being urged to make a rehomed dog the first appointment of his administration.

Animal charity PDSA has pressed Mr Obama to break from the White House tradition of making pedigree canines the presidential pet of choice.

The president-elect has promised his daughters, Sasha and Malia, a puppy when they move into the White House.

Sean Wensley, one of PDSA’s senior veterinary surgeons, said a rehomed dog would be ideal for America’s First Family.

He said: “Most US presidents, including George W Bush, have had pedigree pets.

“Many pedigree dogs suffer from breed-related health problems which reduce their quality and length of life.

“Non-pedigree dogs are less likely to have such problems - which is not only good for animals themselves but can spare owners the distress of seeing their pets suffer.”

The Obamas’ new puppy will join an illustrious roll-call of presidential pets, including not only pedigree dogs but the alligators owned by Herbert Hoover, Martin van Buren’s tigers and a garter snake owned by Theodore Roosevelt.

John F Kennedy and his family had a menagerie - including cats, canaries, ponies and hamsters.

Barack Obama has promised his daughters a new puppy. It will be the latest in a long line of White House pooches

If you want a friend in Washington,” Harry Truman said, “get a dog.” He was commenting on what a brutal, backbiting, primordial swamp the capital is. But the sentence could just as well be taken to mean: you won’t make friends if you don’t have a dog.

It should come as no surprise that in his acceptance speech Barack Obama told his daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7: “I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us.”

This was not just a sweet gesture to his daughters: it was a statement of intent. He may have won a landslide with a message of change, but he needed to reassure voters that one of the White House traditions that they hold most dear, whether the occupant is a Republican or a Democrat, would be upheld. More than half of America’s 43 presidents have owned dogs and in recent years a canine friend has meant more than just a way of softening a Commander-in-Chief’s image. It has become an essential job requirement.

We may love our pets in Britain but they rarely play much of a role in politics. Humphrey the Downing Street cat entered the nation’s consciousness only when John Major lost him and again when Cherie Blair had to deny reports that he was removed from No 10 because she disliked the animal. It is hard to imagine any other country in which a newly elected leader would announce as his first executive decision the appointment of a First Pooch. White House dogs are involved in diplomacy, political crisis management, even in helping to hold their owners’ precarious marriages together. Then they write books.

George Washington found time between winning the Revolutionary War and founding the nation to own ten hounds: Taster, Cloe, Tipler, Forester, Captain, Lady Rover, Vulcan, Sweetlips, Madame Moose and Searcher. Theodore Roosevelt, who worked hard on his macho image, kept a pitbull, Pete, that nearly provoked a diplomatic incident when it attacked the French Ambassador, tearing the seat out of his trousers. Pete was banished to Roosevelt’s home on Long Island. His removal, however, did not leave Roosevelt lonely. The President liked keeping animals almost as much as he enjoyed killing them and brought a menagerie to the White House that included a bear, a badger, a macaw, a lizard, a hyena, snakes, guinea-pigs, a hen, a rooster with one leg, a rabbit, three ponies and a barn owl.

Subsequent presidents returned the focus to less exotic, four-pawed pets. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Scottie, called Fala, became so much part of his avuncular image that it received sacks of fanmail, was buried alongside his master and is immortalised in the memorial to FDR on the National Mall. Roosevelt responded to a false story that Fala had been left behind on a trip to the Aleutian Islands and a destroyer had been sent to pick him up, with a speech in which he said: “His Scotch soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since. I am accustomed to hearing malicious falsehoods about myself…But I think I have a right to resent, to object to, libellous statements about my dog.” Fala supposedly bonded with Rufus, Winston Churchill’s poodle, in the secret confines of a cruiser off Newfoundland in 1941.

The Cold War was thawed by a degree or two when Nikita Khrushchev gave Pushinka, a mongrel descended from Russian dogs sent into space, to President Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline. A litter of puppies was born in the White House. The family’s other dogs included Charlie, a Welsh terrier.

Lyndon Johnson caused uproar when he was pictured picking up his beagles, Him and Her, by their ears. Richard Nixon proved master of using his cocker spaniel, Checkers, to get out of trouble. When he was Eisenhower’s vice-president he was accused of pocketing money from supporters and for accepting the dog as a gift. He went on television to deny the accusations, held up a picture of the dog, said his kids loved the animal and “regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it”. Viewers lapped it up and the crisis was defused.

His successor, Gerald Ford, had a more practical use for Liberty, his golden retriever, whistling for her to come and break up boring meetings.

The Bush political dynasty is matched by that of their dogs. George Bush Sr had an English springer spaniel, Millie. Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush, described a day in the life of the President, which burnished his profile and cemented his wife’s status as the nation’s grandmother. Spot, one of Millie’s puppies born in the White House, returned with George W. and died there in 2004. The outgoing President now has two Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beasley. However low his opinion poll ratings, the dogs are always ready to come bounding enthusiastically across the lawn to greet him.

His predecessor relied even more heavily on a dog pal in times of trouble. The Clintons arrived at the White House with their cat Sox and later Clinton was given Buddy, a labrador. Dear Sox, Dear Buddy, a collection of letters sent to the pets sold well, but the two didn’t get along. Like most things about the Clintons, their cat attracted controversy. The Clintons had her declawed to save the antique furniture, provoking uproar among animal welfare groups. Then when they left office it was announced that it was off to live with Bill’s secretary, Betty Currie, prompting unfair accusations that Hillary didn’t care for the moggie and had just used it to soften her own image (this was a little unfair given that Sox had been the family pet back in Arkansas).

Buddy was a faithful and helpful presence to his master. During the Monica Lewinsky scandal it appeared to be the only member of Bill’s family that was pleased to see the President. Perhaps this is too cynical, but it was a useful image for Clinton to be seen serving his time in the doghouse with the dog, before his spouse forgave him. After he left office Buddy was accidentally killed near the family home in Chappaqua, New York, when a vehicle ran over it. Bill was said to be heartbroken.

One thing Obama will need to watch out for is competition for the job of top dog. Dick Cheney once dressed his labradors, Jackson and Dave, as Darth Vader and Superman for a Hallowe’en party but, like their owner, they mostly stayed in the shadows.

Joe Biden, however, has said that his wife had promised him a “big dog” if he got elected. Not too big, Mr Vice President-elect.

Expect to hear a great deal more about the First Dog, probably rather more than you will about the two girls for whom it is bought. Then one day there will be a section devoted to it in the Presidential Pet Museum. Yes, of course there’s a Presidential Pet Museum. Where else would you find a portrait of Lucky, President Reagan’s Bouvier des Flandres, made from its own hair?

A dog isn’t just for one term, Mr Obama, it’s for life

As leader of the world superpower, choosing a dog probably does not rate alongside forging relations in the Middle East or reducing America’s national debt, yet the breed of the Obamas’ new canine companion could be more of a headache for the President-elect than he realises. Larger dogs may be more child-friendly but they often have a shorter lifespan and cost more to feed than smaller ones, which must be a consideration in economically blighted times. While a Jack Russell might be lively, it is also more likely to bite than any other breed. This could become diplomatically explosive should the Iranian Ambassador’s attempt to pat the President’s pooch be misinterpreted by the mutt as an act of war.

And then there are allergies. For the Obamas, whose daughter Malia suffers from them, a breed with a short, predictable coat is crucial. Yet, hypoallergenic dogs, such as the American hairless terrier, are not the best-looking of breeds when it comes to those “impromptu” fur-frolicking photo calls.

Lastly, there is the important issue of what your dog says about you. According to Beverley Cuddy, editor of Dogs Today, psychologists have found an inverse correlation between a man’s masculinity and the size of his dog. A man who chooses a very large canine, such as a Great Dane, could signal a lack of confidence. This does not bode well for Jo Biden, who has already announced that he is going to choose a large breed.

Surprisingly, the American Kennel Club has already polled its members on which breed should be the next White House dog basket incumbent and, after 42,000 votes, the poodle beat the soft-coated wheaten terrier by a dog’s hair’s breadth. Here at The Times, however, we have a few suggestions of our own:

THE RODINGLEA SCRUFFY
The brightest dog in town. A blend of bearded collie, border collie and English springer spaniel, this dog has been bred to be a canine genius and is so evolved that it can even speak 15 recognisable words. It could hold its own press conferences and even market its own top-selling books.
Downside: danger of indiscretion and becoming a double agent in return for sausages.

THE LABRADOR
A favourite of British MPs and No1 dog in Britain. Docile, biddable, needs little grooming and would do wonders for the Special Relationship.
Downside: a gun dog (how neocon!) that needs a lot of walking and could run to fat on too many banquet titbits.

THE AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD DOG
A native to America and would be a novel breed for the White House. As a dog with a working past, it could be useful for herding the press corps. It is also loyal and protective.
Downside: its name could be construed as unAmerican.

THE PUGGLE
A cross of the pug and the beagle. It looks like the pug of Hogarth pictures, is flat-coated and much favoured by the rich and famous. It can strut its stuff, so would cope with the cameras and, as it is blessed with the gentle nature of the beagle, would make a perfect presidential companion.
Downside: could demand more attention than strictly needed.

THE RESCUE DOG
Would show that Obama is in touch with the people and that, just as anyone can become President, any canine can become First Dog. Could make rescue dogs fashionable.
Downside: not knowing a dog’s history can mean more work and having to have faith and trust in the future.

Washington D.C. -    Barney,  the President’s beloved Scottish Terrier, bit a reporter on his way to the White House briefing room today.

  Jon Decker, a reporter for Rueters, asked the handler if it was ok to pet Barney and was told yes.  When he did, the dog bit his right index finger and broke the skin.

    “I just wanted to pet barney. My mom has a scottish terrier. I wanted to
pet barney and unfortunately he was not in the mood to be pet,” said Decker afterward.

  A White House physician prescribed antibiotics as a precaution and recommended Decker get a tetanus shot.

President Bush’s terrier Barney expressed his displeasure with a member of the media on Thursday — with his teeth. The First Dog bit a Reuters reporter who tried to pet him.

There’s no word from the White House explaining Barney’s frame of mind. Perhaps he was not happy with the outcome of the recent Presidential election.

Click on the video below to watch the bite and reporter Jon Decker’s explanation for what happened.

Decker treated by White House physician after being nipped by Barney

In a case clearly meant for “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan, Barney the First Dog was caught biting a member of the White House press corps Thursday in Washington D.C.

Reuters political reporter Jon Decker was bitten by the Scottish terrier and had to be treated by the White House physician, according to a source on the scene.

Decker had reportedly just finished a live shot for MSNBC at 10:35 a.m. ET and was making his way toward the briefing room when he spotted Barney and his handler on a walk, the source told Access.

After asking if it was OK to pet the exiting First Dog, Decker reached down to stroke the terrier. It was at this point that Barney reportedly “snapped” and bit Decker’s finger, breaking the skin, the source said.

Decker’s reaction was reportedly, “that’s not good.”

After heading to the lower White House press office for a bandage, someone suggested Decker see the White House nurse. The nurse, in turn, reportedly sent Decker to Dr. Richard Tubb, the White House physician, who prescribed antibiotics as a precaution.

Decker is said to be doing “fine” following the incident, the source said.

Presidential First Dogs

George Washington & the American Foxhound
America’s first president was not only the father of his country but the father of the American Foxhound. He carefully bred and maintained his dogs, listing more than 30 hounds in his journals, including hounds named Drunkard, Tipler and Tipsy.

Abraham Lincoln & Fido
This floppy-eared rough-coated dog of unknown ancestry lived with Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois for the five years before he became President. Upon his election, Lincoln decided that the dog would not survive the trip to Washington and, despite the objections of his son Tad, left Fido in Illinois. When Lincoln’s body was returned to Springfield, Fido was brought out to meet the mourners.

Warren G. Harding & Laddie Boy
The 29th President not only gave his Airedale Terrier a hand-carved cabinet chair to sit in on high-level meetings, but also threw a birthday at the White House inviting all the neighborhood dogs, where they dined on dog biscuit birthday cake.

Calvin Coolidge & Rob Roy
Coolidge and his wife Grace kept an entire menagerie at their White House. In addition to a pair of white collies, Rob Roy and Prudence Prim, they kept numerous other dogs, plus raccoons, a donkey, a bobcat, canaries, a goose and a mockingbird.

Herbert Hoover & King Tut
In addition to this German Shepherd, the 31st President owned two Fox Terriers named Big Ben and Sonnie, an Elkhound named Weejie, and an Irish Wolfhound named Patrick.

Franklin D. Roosevelt & Fala
One of the most iconic first dogs, Roosevelt’s Scottish Terrier, starred in a movie, was named an honorary Army private and had his own press secretary.

Harry S. Truman & Feller
The 33rd President once famously said, “You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog.” Evidently he didn’t care much for friends, as he regifted a cocker spaniel, given to him as an unsolicited Christmas present in 1947, to the White House physician. Dog lovers around the country assailed the President for surrendering Feller, who came to be known as The Unwanted Dog.

John F. Kennedy & Shannon, Clipper, Charlie, and Wolf
Dog-lovers all, the Kennedys built a special play area near the West Wing for their children and the family pets. JFK was also the first president to request that his dogs come out to meet the presidential helicopter when he arrived at the White House.

Por: Ángela Torres corresponsal                          05-11-08

ACTOR Y FILÁNTROPO RAUL JULIA LEVY  OPINA SOBRE EL TEMA DE SEGURIDAD EN MÉXICO.

No solo ha sido su gran interés la actuación, el arte y la cultura si no también ha sido fiel seguidor de la política en México, manteniendo una postura informada y de gran análisis. Sobre todo de gran importancia en su vida, dada esta pasión hacia el bienestar mexicano y el pueblo, comenta sobre la seguridad en México que no solo le interesa, si no que le preocupa. Siendo  una persona humanitaria y totalmente interesada en el bien de México y su gente como su fiel patria, nos concede esta entrevista sobre su punto de vista a la situación que atraviesa México con la violencia y la inseguridad devastadora, de un país con gente trabajadora que merece más de lo que recibe.

Vía telefónica desde su casa en Los Ángeles CA.

Raúl gracias por tomar la llamada, sabemos que estas muy ocupado en estos momentos, pero quisiéramos hacerte un par de preguntas en toda esta situación con respecto a México y su entorno a la inseguridad, dime

¿Que opinas sobre el accidente que sacudió  a la Ciudad de México ayer en la avenida reforma en el cual fallecieron Juan  Camilo Mouriño y Santiago Vasconcelos?

R.J.L.   Ángela primero que nada te doy las gracias por darme la oportunidad de dar esta entrevista, yo siempre políticamente he mantenido mi postura muy neutral, sobre todo por que vivimos en un país, de constantes cambios, el tema de la seguridad en México es un tema que vengo escuchando desde que tenia yo 7 años, lamento mucho la perdida del licenciado Camilo Mouriño, lo poco que conocí de el me pareció una gran persona, tuve la oportunidad de conocerlo por primera vez en la toma de protesta de Felipe Calderón como presidente de México en la cena de estado, en realidad es una perdida para México la muerte inesperada de un gran político mexicano.

A.T.  Dado que tú lo conociste, y abiertamente sabes sobre el tema yo quisiera preguntarte, en estos extremos de la situación, ¿quien crees tú que sería el reemplazo perfecto que ocupase la labor que desempeñaba exitosamente Mouriño?

R.J.L.  México como te mencione antes, es un país de grandes talentos y personas muy capaces de ocupar ese puesto en estos momentos, uno de los candidatos que yo le tengo mucha fe por que es un gran amigo mió con una habilidad y un talento impresionante, para ocupar este cargo es el Lic. Ricardo Sheffield Padilla, quien hasta ahora se viene desempeñando como subsecretario de la reforma agraria, creo que Ricardo reúne todos los requisitos para poder ocupar ese puesto tan demandante y exigente.

A.T.  La situación en México hoy día es muy estresante, para todos los capitalinos, y obviamente la labor que desempeñaba Camilo Mouriño sin duda era de extremada relevancía y  responsabilidad, en anteriores ocasiones ya se había hecho notar el nombre de Ricardo Sheffield Padilla como político responsable y de impecable reputación, siendo así, en lo personal no me sorprende que lo nombres, pero ¿de no ser Ricardo a quien más tienes en mente?

R.J.L.   Como te decía Existen muchas personas capaces, obviamente quién  sea que Felipe Calderon vaya a escoger. Estoy completamente seguro que tomará la decisión correcta  brindándole al pueblo de México la persona indicada que desempeñará  responsablemente el cargo de un país tan rico y tristemente con tanta violencía.

A.T.   Desafortunadamente Raúl tienes razón en lo que mencionas sobre lo maravilloso que es México y lo triste que es tener ese alto índice de inseguridad.

R.J.L.  Pues el tema de la seguridad en México siempre me ha preocupado por que tengo familia en México y sobre todo por que México esta en un momento de mucha crisis y con mucho que combatir como, la pobreza, la economía social, y muy importante la seguridad,  si no combatimos esto de una manera eficaz puede poner en riesgo la seguridad total de toda una nación.

A.T.  Ya me has comentado sobre tu visión hacia la inseguridad de México, ahora el punto que tocas sobre la crisis económica que tiene como blanco directo a México sin duda es una de las grandes preocupaciones, sobre todo por que crisis económica es igual a gasolina y gasolina es igual a petróleo, lo que es PEMEX, 

¿cual es tu opinión al respecto de todo esto que arroja la cuestión de PEMEX, los mexicanos y la gasolina?

R.J.L.   El tema del petróleo en México, yo digo que es un tema muy delicado, por que hay millones de personas que se oponen a eso, por  falta de información o el miedo de que en realidad se vayan a ver beneficiados 2 o 3 políticos corruptos. Si en realidad el tema de la energía en México es aprobado  para veneficiar la economía de ese país, y generar más empleos, mejorar su educación, brindar oportunidades a todos aquellos que busquen de ellas, creo que siempre cuando existe un cambio en un país, la gente por naturaleza tiene miedo de el, solo espero que los resultados de todo esto, sean de verdad positivos, para el pueblo de México, y digo para el pueblo de México en general, para la gente, para nuestra gente.

A.T.  Bueno ahora ya sabemos que tienes una alta comunicación con México, que tienes familia, que estas en contacto con lo que sucede en nuestro país, pero ahora quisiera que me dieras tu opinión sobre el ahora nuevo presidente de  Estados Unidos, Barack Obama.  ¿Cual es tu opinión?

R.J.L.  Creo yo que el hecho de que haya ganado Obama las elecciones, es un beneficio incomparable, ya que traerá muchas oportunidades, sobre todo para las minorías de este país, yo personalmente lo conozco muy poco a Obama, tuve la oportunidad de hablar con el en 2 ocasiones, y me dio la impresión de ser una persona recta y justa, yo siento que el cambio también le va a favorecer mucho a Estados Unidos como nación  sobre todo la imagen de este país que esta totalmente destruida, a nivel internacional.

A.T.  Honestamente comparto tu opinión y creo que la mayoría del mundo también, sabemos que la potencia financiera de Estados Unidos recae también en nuestro país, así que la victoria de Barack Obama claramente no solo es de índice nacional si no totalmente mundial. Te agradezco mucho Raúl el tiempo brindado para esta entrevista que viniendo de ti , que conoces la problemática de los 2 países, fundido entre las políticas de ambos y conociendo a los protagonistas en primera instancia. Muchas gracias, y esperamos en el futuro nos brindes más, mucha suerte en tu carrera y actividades filantrópicas.

CHICAGO — The first puppy must be a rescue puppy:

Among all the demands of interest groups placed upon the next president of the United States, the demand for a rescue puppy — make that “a homeless animal” — in the new White House may stand out among the demands on the Top Dog..

President-elect Barack Obama, who had promised his two young daughters a puppy if the family won the White House, announced at his acceptance speech last night that he will be making good on that promise.

But that doesn’t mean breeders should be sending their calling cards. Wayne Pacelle, president of The Humane Society of the United States, reminds the Obama family today that they previously have spoken of making that puppy a rescue puppy.

Now, that doesn’t rule out AKC pedigrees — many dogs of pure lineage end up at shelters. But it suggests that the first pooch may not look like Barney and Miss Beazley, the Bush family’s little Scotties. Unless, of course, the local pound has a show-dog ready to go.

Pacelle says the first family’s pick of a puppy will send “a real message of hope and change for all the dogs in shelters waiting for a loving home and those currently suffering in abusive puppy mills,,.

“Most presidents in recent times have had pets, and as the next president, Barack Obama can set a tremendous example for the rest of Americans by adopting a homeless animal,” he says. “The Humane Society of the United States looks forward to working with President Obama and watching his children bond with the newest member of their family.”