President Laughs too Hard During Visit by Beijing Lop Chongs
President Bush laughed so hard that he stumbled over a coffee table and scraped a shin Saturday when a troupe of acrobatic miniature Dachshunds made a goodwill visit to the president’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.
“The President suffered a minor abrasion on his left shin and took time out from his busy schedule to have it looked at by the White House medical staff. He returned to work a few minutes later,” a White House statement said.
The Beijing Lop Chongs — a troupe of 12 long-haired miniature Dachshunds — are famed for their comedic antics in which they form towering pyramids, balance balls on their noses, dance in formation and perform synchronized toy fetches.
“To tell you the truth, I don’t think anyone actually saw the presidential stumble, we were all laughing so hard,” said a presidential adviser who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak about presidential frivolity.
Another aide, who also asked not to be identified, said the laugh-induced stumble came when the Lop Chongs began fetching toy dolls that looked like Hillary Clinton and several of the dogs engaged in energetic tugs-of-war over the Clinton dolls.
“It was good to see the President have a good laugh,” the aide said. “Things have been pretty gloomy around here of late, what with Iraq and all that.”
It could not be determined whether the Lop Chongs handlers provided the Clinton dolls or the dolls were introduced into the canine acrobatics by someone else.
Harry Weinstein, president of Gone to the Dogs, a New York City canine talent agency, said that when he has booked the Lop Chongs in the past, the dogs’ handlers provided the toys.
“In a private performance like the one the president saw, they dump all the toys out into a heap on the floor,” he said. “Part of the act is how the wiener dogs tear into the pile. I would say it is highly unlikely that the Lop Chongs handlers brought the dolls with them. That would be an unforgivable breech of diplomatic protocol.”