I am delighted to announce that William Jefferson (Willie) has again agreed to serve as my "walking mate" for the 2008 campaign. Willie is two years old and, aside from being overly friendly (a trait common to both the breed and the namesake), is a wonderful companion.

Willie's role will be strictly limited to companionship. He does not speak for the campaign (nor even for himself), and he is ineligible to complete my term of office should I be incapacitated.

Willie's walking mate will pick-up after him, of course. And in answer to a commonly asked question when people learn that "Willie" is short for William Jefferson, no, he has not been "fixed".

Before my opponent attempts to denigrate Willie's character, we wish to acknowledge his somewhat checkered past (a la "Checkers", for those of you whose memory extends to the 1950s). Recently, Willie has been a model of behavior for Grosse Pointe's traditional dog, the Golden Retriever. His early months were troubled, however, as seen here.