Dear Jag,

Good Morning, Jag,

We wish to thank you for the nice card you sent us from the Montana governor's mansion. It came in yesterday's mail, and we're impressed that you got to use official stationery to write to us.

Of course, Border Collies do deserve the very best. At least we think so, and we'll continue to lobby for doggies to get to go to county and state fairs. We're really sorry that you got kicked out of the Western Montana Fair. The same thing happened to Kiwi at our local fair where our mom purchased her as a puppy the year before.

We think that most decent doggies ought to be allowed in places like county fairs because they act a whole lot better than some humans. After all, we're friendly to everyone, and we'll do most anything anyone tells us to do. So, those people at the animal expositions ought to give us a chance to show how civilized we really are. Besides, we get to go to horse shows---why not fairs?

Speaking of going places, we were wondering if the Democrats let you come to their convention in Denver a couple of weeks ago. Our mom told us she saw your master at the podium, but she didn't mention anything about seeing you. Maybe you were off in the crowd chasing balloons.

Please tell your master that our mom thought he did a really good job with his speech. She said that until you got up that night, a lot of folks were just milling around and taking naps. But once your master started talking, everyone came alive.

We've got some ideas we'd like to discuss with you and your master about the upcoming campaign to help Sen. Obama. It's a campaign gimmick, but aren't they all? We're proposing a cool TV ad along the lines of those that Budweiser does with its Clydesdales, only this one would have a bunch of us in it, barking the message: Border Collies for Obama. Whaddya think about that, Jag?

At least people wouldn't roll their eyes like they do when they hear a lot of those endless political back-biting commercials.

Jag, if you're ever over here in North Idaho, we'd love for you to come and visit us at the Lovestead. Besides our breed, we have one other thing in common---that's a Schweitzer. The mountain, that is. While we're racing around our farm, chasing each other or searching for Folgers coffee cans, we do it all in the shadow of Schweitzer Mountain Resort.

If you came, we'd give you a coffee can all your own to play with cuz we have a whole herd of them scattered around the place. Heck, Jag, we'd even let you stand alongside us and stare at the horses in the corral. That's a pretty fun thing to do. We'd also tell Granny Annie, the yellow lab, not to growl at you if you get too close to her space.

At the very least, we'd love to be paw pals with you, and we'll sign any petitions you have to get you and us into our county and state fairs.

Thanks again for your note. Our mom says she's going to frame it and put it on the wall next to our pedigrees. Hope to meet you some day.

In the meantime, take good care of the governor. He seems like a nice master.

Kiwi and Kea