Comparison "Offensive," Dog Fanciers Complain

Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who famously compared herself to a pit bull in her vice-presidential acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, appears to have antagonized a key voting bloc in the upcoming election, the nation's pit bull owners.

While Gov. Palin's assertion that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull was "lipstick" drew a loud ovation from the Republican faithful in St. Paul, it raised the ire of the Pit Bull Anti-Defamation League, a powerful association of pit bull fanciers who monitor the portrayal of pit bulls in the media.

"As someone who has owned pit bulls for the past 20 years, my jaw dropped," said Carol Foyler, the group's executive director. "Most of us are thinking the same thing: Enough is enough."

Ms. Foyler said that for pit bull owners who have grown weary of their prized dogs being defamed and mistreated, Gov. Palin's wisecrack was the last straw: "We're all like, first the Michael Vick thing, and now this."

Tracy Klugian, an irate pit bull owner from Buffalo, N.Y., echoed Ms. Foyler's sentiments: "I can think of many differences between pit bulls and Gov. Palin — for starters, pit bulls don't try to get their ex-brothers-in-law fired."

With Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) fighting for every last vote, a coveted voting bloc like pit bull owners could very well decide the 2008 election, political insiders believe.

While Gov. Palin was not available for comment on the pit bull controversy, a spokesperson for the McCain-Palin ticket offered this official statement: "Gov. Palin does in fact have one thing in common with a pit bull: Neither is capable of answering questions from reporters."

Award-winning humorist, television personality and film actor Andy Borowitz is author of the book "The Republican Playbook." To find out more about Andy Borowitz and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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