WASHINGTON — Who let the dog out? That’s the Washington mystery du jour.
The identity of the first puppy — the one that the Washington press corps has been yelping about for months, has leaked out. This despite White House efforts to delay the news until the debut planned for Tuesday afternoon.
The little guy is a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog given to the Obama girls as a gift by that Portuguese water dog-lovin’ senator himself, Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts. Malia and Sasha named it Bo.
Bo’s well-suited for formal occasions at the White House, with tuxedo-black fur, with a white chest, white paws and a rakish white goatee.
In mid-March, word on the street was that the White House was going to plant a vegetable garden. A Washington Post reporter was making calls, probing, pushing. But the White House was mum. Word filtered out that the exclusive had been promised to The New York Times. But the White House offered a mollifier: The puppy exclusive is yours.
Then came Saturday morning. A website called FirstDogCharlie published a puppy picture Saturday, complete with a Q and A with the dog, which it said was originally named Charlie. The celebrity gossip website linked to the picture. So much for the White House unveiling.
Still, there’s lots of stuff that didn’t leak out, including a secret get-acquainted session with the family at the White House a few weeks ago. The visit, known around the White House as “The Meeting,” was a surprise for the girls.
Sasha was excited; Malia focused on all the “responsibility issues” — how will Bo be trained, cared for, etc.
Some issues remain to be resolved. Where, for instance, will Bo sleep? The White House has plenty of rooms to choose from, but the great question of whether he’ll get to bunk with one or both of the girls remains undecided.
