Motes and beams and Presidential dogs...

Rules of politics, 2012 edition. It might not be a good idea to make a big deal about your opponents' method of transporting his family dog on vacation (rather than leaving it in a kennel), if your candidate is on record as having eaten dog meat...

Taranto:

The jokes write themselves.

#ObamaDogRecipes: Yorkshire terrier pudding, mutt chop, Pekingese duck, bichon frisee salad, beagle with cream cheese, pure bread.

"So, Mr. President, where shall we go to eat?" "I know a great Spot."

If you want a friend in Washington, don't eat him (credit to Jim Geraghty).

Happiness is a warm puppy, with a side of fries.

Obama's favorite fast-food joint? Checkers (Patrick Daly).

I wouldn't vote for that guy for dogcatcher.

Did you hear about the insomniac polyphagiac president? He lies awake at night wondering if there is a dog.

Romney aide Erich Fehrnstrom got into the act last night, retweeting Axelrod's Obama-Bo snapshot from January with the comment: "In retrospect, a chilling photo." That may be the wrong adjective, since it doesn't appear to have been taken in a refrigerated truck. Obama really spoils that dog.

So "Dogs against Romney" now has a counterpart - "Dogs against Obama."