The dog that barked

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole's latest ad is getting some attention.

The ad's image of Democratic rival Kay Hagan as a yipping dog was analyzed on The Plank, a blog run by The New Republic magazine.

...What exactly the dog stands for is up for debate. [Hogan] Gidley, Dole's spokesperson, took a long pause when asked what the dog symbolizes, noting slowly that there isn't "a particular image we are trying to portray." Eventually, he explained that it alludes to Hagan's stump persona. "She is out on the campaign trail barking fibs at the audience and telling half-truths and being negative and attacking [Dole] at every step. It's reminiscent of a dog barking, I guess," Gidley said. "Everyone's had to live next to a dog that just barks constantly, and you've heard the phrase 'all bark and no bite,' and Kay Hagan has been barking for a while. But she offers no plans, no bite."

The New Republic asked the Dole campaign about a "less flattering" interpretation of the image of a female (?) dog. Gidley said that idea is "just silly."