It's OK to vote out the humans
August 15, 2012 2:56 PM
It's no secret that the U.S. Congress is disliked, with approval ratings somewhere below those of used car dealers and the long-term incarcerated. So one candidate for a U.S. Senate seat this fall has a novel idea: Get rid of the humans.
Hank the Cat has been in the race since March, running as an independent in Virginia, just a short distance from Washington. But the feline has eluded the big spotlight until he came out recently with a rather slick campaign ad. The claws are out, you might say.
"Our representatives came to Congress with big plans," begins the new ad on YouTube.
"What did we get? The brink of financial default. Important legislation ignored and forgotten. A national credit downgrade for the first time ever. And the most unaccomplished Congress in history."
The script then neatly mirrors a pro-Romney ad: "They tried. You tried. It's OK to make a change."
But then it goes a tad further: "It's OK to vote the humans out. It's OK to elect Hank for Senate."
Hank's running on a platform of animal welfare and good government, and refuses donations, directing them instead to a local animal charity.
The charity, actually, has a lot to do with Hank's hardscrabble upbringing, a major character asset when stacked up against the silver-spoons who seem to inhabit much of Congress these days.
"From the very first day, Hank has been a fighter", his campaign website says.
"Born to a single mother living on the streets, Hank, his mother, and his siblings were taken to an animal shelter and sat on death row.
"Shortly before their execution, Hank and the rest of his family were saved by an animal rescue group called Animal Allies."
From his home town in Springfield, Va., Hank has a rather impressive campaign plan. Yard signs, mugs, even a baseball team with his face emblazoned on their jerseys. And yes, the cuddly pictures of Hank as a kitten have hit newsstands.
On facebook though, Hank is outpaced in likes by George Allen, the Republican challenger, 53,000 to 23,600 as of Wednesday. But he's only a thousand or so behind the former governor, Tim Kaine, now the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat.
He is still waiting for his Twitter moment, however, though you can follow him at @Hank4Senate
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