Are you required to be a sociopath in the GOP?

... or is it optional and counts for extra credit?

Before beginning the drive, Mitt Romney put Seamus, the family's hulking Irish setter, in a dog carrier and attached it to the station wagon's roof rack. He'd built a windshield for the carrier, to make the ride more comfortable for the dog.

[snip]

As the oldest son, Tagg Romney commandeered the way-back of the wagon, keeping his eyes fixed out the rear window, where he glimpsed the first sign of trouble. ''Dad!'' he yelled. ''Gross!'' A brown liquid was dripping down the back window, payback from an Irish setter who'd been riding on the roof in the wind for hours. As the rest of the boys joined in the howls of disgust, Romney coolly pulled off the highway and into a service station. There, he borrowed a hose, washed down Seamus and the car, then hopped back onto the highway. It was a tiny preview of a trait he would grow famous for in business: emotion-free crisis

This courtesy of the former Wonkette, Ana Marie Cox, who adds "Who else thought this little story would end with the dog not crapping itself but, you know, dead? Also, if this really is some kind of trademark approach, I can't wait to hear what he thinks the "roadmap to peace" means. Israel calls shotgun!"

He has the dog on the roof of the car for HOURS in the summertime? Where's animal cops? For once I agree with PETA: "If you wouldn’t strap your child to the roof of your car, you have no business doing that to the family dog!"

She's more to be pitied than blamed

Okay, maybe not, but we finally get some insight into why Anne Coulter can't think. I'm sure you're aware that Elizabeth Edwards phoned in to the Chris Matthews show last night to ask her to stop her vile personal LYING attacks on the Edwardses. Anne's response?

"The wife of a presidential candidate is asking me to stop speaking. No."

Now we know - she not only can't think, she can't hear. Are these things perhaps related? Where's Annie Sullivan when we need her?