Tallahassee authorities have made it official: Dogs are ineligible to run for Congress. The decision came as bad news for Percy, a black-and-white collie mix, and his keeper, Wayne Genthner of Sarasota, who had hoped to take on Republican Secretary of State Katherine Harris for the House seat being left open by the retirement of U.S. Rep. Dan Miller, R-Bradenton.

"He (Percy, that is) is a canine and therefore not a qualified elector," ruled assistant elections division director Ed Kast. He didn't even bother mentioning that Percy also failed to meet the position's age requirement.

So holding elective office in the nation's capital apparently is out for Percy.

But he might still have a future as a Washington lobbyist.

The day after Percy got the cold shoulder at the Tallahassee elections office, another civic-minded dog was getting a much warmer welcome at a reception in a Senate office building in Washington. Uga VI, the official mascot of the University of Georgia, was the star attraction at an event filled with members of Congress, other Washington officials and less effective lobbyists.

Uga was there to help university president Michael Adams lobby for research grants and other funds sought by the school. The well-bred bulldog quickly showed himself to be adept at the greased-paw give-and-take of such events. After spending a few minutes panting and drinking water to cool down from his jet flight from Athens, Uga patiently greeted admirers and posed for a photo-op with U.S. Sens. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, and Zell Miller, D-Ga.

"He (Uga, that is) was probably the best looking one in the picture," Gramm said.

No one argued the point. But a more idealistic politician -- say, Percy -- might have questioned whether it was appropriate for Uga to be keeping such company. Uga VI and his predecessors traditionally have been above partisan politics, but this Washington trip may have given Uga the political itch.

After all, when you lie down with politicians, you're liable to get fleas.

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