Aren't we, nation, battered just like this pup?

So, The Defenders of Wildlife video (the one where the wolves have "nowhere to hide") has now made the rounds, informing us all that Sarah Palin signed a bill to pay aerial hunters a bounty of $150 for the severed foreleg of a grey wolf.

Picture the exact opposite of that political move. Would it be something like cradling a wounded, three-legged puppy? To spread awareness about the cruelty of puppy mills? Say, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial?

Because BARACK OBAMA DID THAT.

I can't believe I missed this story the first time around, but I caught the link in context of the Human Society Legislative Fund's endorsement of the Democratic ticket (their first ever presidential endorsement). It seems that Baby, a ten-year-old poodle, was rescued from a California puppy mill, where "her leg had been so badly mangled in her former cage that it had to be amputated, and her vocal cords had been cut so the puppy mill owners did not have to listen to the dog's constant cries to be let out of her cage," and her new owner has written a book about the evils of the industry, photographing Baby with celebrities and visting Capitol Hill to lobby for legislation.

You cannot make up stuff like this. In addition to the best. photo. ever, check out the caption, courtesy of HSLF's President, Michael Markarian:

"The solemn setting is a reminder of causes that are worth fighting for, and the image of battered Baby safe in Obama’s embrace sends the message that change is possible for these creatures, too."