President Obama's campaign strategist David Axelrod chimed in Monday on the scandal surrounding the time Mitt Romney drove to Canada with his dog in a crate tied to the roof of his car in the 1980s. "Crategate," as the stupid pet trick was inevitably dubbed, has been an issue championed by New York Times columnist Gail Collins, who somewhat gleefully drops a reference to the story in as many columns as she can.

On Monday, Axelrod tweeted a photo of Bo Obama, the first family's dog, in the back of a limo with the words, "How loving owners transport their dogs." Not one to miss a controversy, Politico's Dylan Byers tweeted, "#ShotsFired," in response. Seamus, the long-deceased Romney family dog, has become a symbol for partisans of all stripes: Some see the anecdote as a funny example of Romney's somewhat over-eager commitment to efficiency, while others see signs of a cruel owner, and still others just can't wait to see how Collins chooses to work it into yet another column. (Whatever the case, Seamus jokes are growing  tired.) It's unclear under which category Axelrod finds himself, but we tend to think he might just be having a little fun with his personal twitter account. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Seamus will become an issue in a general election debate, should Romney get the nomination.

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at erandall at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.