Gov. Douglas brings dog and pony to last news conference

[fromVT]

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20101222/NEWS03/101222033/Gov.-Douglas-brings-dog-and-pony-to-last-newser

MONTPELIER — During eight years in office Gov. Jim Douglas held hundreds of news conferences, some of which the media jokingly called “dog-and-pony shows,” as Douglas brought a variety of players to the podium to highlight programs and policies.

Wednesday, for the last news conference of his tenure, Douglas hauled out the real thing: a dog and a pony. Actually, a dog and a miniature horse (apparently they’re better behaved than ponies, Douglas aide Jason Gibbs said.)

...snip...

“We will end this tenure with a literal ‘dog and pony show,’” Douglas said as he held the leashes of Annie and Iroc. “They’re certainly better behaved than the Legislature.”

Afterward, with the media reassembled in the fifth-floor conference room, where news conferences more commonly are held, Douglas’ staff brought in a punch bowl of Kool-Aid.

“I ask you to drink the Kool-Aid,” Douglas said, a reference to buying into the governor’s arguments — which he suggested reporters had not done frequently enough. (Most of the tropical punch Kool-Aid went untouched.)