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"Just when you thought there was enough bull in Washington, the folks at Southwestern Bell plan to bring you more. The Baby Bell that serves President-Elect George W. Bush's home state plans to pay $20,000 to ship three longhorn steers to the Texas State Society's Black Tie and Boots Inaugural Ball in an effort to bring a taste of the Old West to the Grand Old Party's festivities. The animal rights group PETA is saying, "Whoa!" PETA is calling the stunt "cruel and unnecessary" and points out that the animals will be subjected to stress as well as "excessive handling and temperature extremes during transport." "Partygoers will have to do the Texas two-step around cow pies, and the steers themselves would no doubt prefer to be back home on the range," says PETA research associate Peter Wood. "If cows had the vote, Bush would be digging himself out of a mountain of manure." PETA's letter to Southwestern Bell follows. January 17, 2001 Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. One page via facsimile: 210-351-2071 Dear Mr. Whitacre: We are writing on behalf of our more than 700,000 members (22,000 in Texas) to ask that Southwestern Bell Long Distance reconsider its $20,000 donation to help ship three Texas Longhorn Steer to the Texas Black Tie & Boots Ball in Washington, D.C. While we recognize the desire of event organizers to recreate the flavor of the old west, we believe shipping live animals to Washington DC for use as props is going a bit too far. Surely, 2 _ tons of beef, 60,000 shrimp, "unlimited guacamole" and "Old Pete" the fiberglass mule, are more than enough to make President Elect George W. Bush and his guests feel at home.  Subjecting animals to excessive handling and temperature extremes during transport as well as a night of picture taking with attendees "riding" their backs is cruel and unnecessary. If event organizers were able to locate a fiberglass mule, we see no reason why "Texas," "Redneck," and "Milkbone" could not be replaced by replicas as well. We thank you for your time and look forward to your response. Sincerely, Peter Wood Cc: The Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison (News Release, PETA to GOP: "Don't Mess With Texas Longhorns," January 18, 2001) "Laura Bush has barely had time to hang up the fabric coat she wore to the inauguration, but PETA is already asking the first lady to make sure any fur in the White House wardrobe is strictly faux.
PETA is asking Mrs. Bush to continue a bipartisan policy dating back to when Richard Nixon made famous his wife's compassionate choice of a "respectable republican cloth coat" over an ostentatious mink. Subsequent first ladies have refused to wear fur, including Laura Bush's mother-in-law, Barbara, who refused to wear a $10,000 fox fur offered to her for her husband's inaugural ceremony and whose rich blue inaugural celebrations cloth coat was described as "stunning and elegant."
"Opposition to fur traverses party lines," says PETA Spokesperson Lisa Lange. "Elephants and donkeys agree-all animals want to keep their skins." In a letter to the first lady, PETA writes, "Every fur coat and fur-trimmed or -lined item comes from animals who were cruelly trapped in steel-jaw leghold traps in the wild or had their necks broken or were gassed or genitally electrocuted on fur farms. We depend on caring people like you to set an example for the nation by simply not wearing fur." PETA's letter to Mrs. Bush follows. January 18, 2001 Mrs. George W. Bush Dear Mrs. Bush, All of us at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wish you well in the coming years at the White House. As you may already be aware, PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with a membership of more than 700,000 worldwide. PETA’s goal is simply to stop animal abuse, and with that in mind we call on you now, at the beginning of your husband’s presidency, to please do one thing for the animals: keep the White House fur-free. Richard Nixon made famous his wife’s compassionate choice of a "respectable republican cloth coat" over an ostentatious mink, and the tradition was graciously continued by your mother-in-law, Barbara Bush, when she refused to wear a $10,000 fox fur offered to her for her husband’s inaugural ceremony. Every fur coat and fur-trimmed or lined item come from animals who were cruelly trapped in steel-jaw leghold traps in the wild or had their necks broken or were gassed or genitally electrocuted on fur farms. Although the American Veterinary Medical Association condemns these practices, the fur industry continues to use them today. We depend on caring people like you to set an example for the nation by simply not wearing fur. Thank you so much for your consideration. Respectfully, Lisa Lange (News Release, PETA URGES FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH TO KEEP CLOTH COAT
: "Compassionate Conservatives Have Fur-Free Closets" January
23, 2001)
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