Puppies and Kittens for Obama! Humane Society Legislative Fund endorses Obama for president

Hail to the power of the purr. The Humane Society Legislative Fund announced yesterday that it is supporting Sen. Barack Obama for president. This is the first time the organization has formally endorsed a presidential candidate.

No, it's not about who has the cutest pet or the most pets, they say. The HS Legislative Fund is endorsing Obama for his support of animal rights legislation:

It stirs controversy to get involved in candidate elections. But we believe that candidates for office and current lawmakers must be held accountable, or they will see the animal protection movement as a largely irrelevant political constituency. In order to have good laws, we need good lawmakers, and involvement in elections is an essential strategy for any serious social movement, including our cause.

The bipartisan board of directors voted unanimously on the endorsement, citing Obama and Sen. Joe Biden's support of animal welfare issues while in the Senate.

Their letter to animal supporters was harsh on Sen. John McCain's VP pick, Gov. Sarah Palin, saying she has potentially done more damage to animals than any other current U.S. governor. Ouch.

While McCain's positions on animal protection have been lukewarm, his choice of running mate cemented our decision to oppose his ticket. Gov. Sarah Palin's (R-Alaska)retrograde policies on animal welfare and conservation have led to an all-out war on Alaska's wolves and other creatures. Her record is so extreme that she has perhaps done more harm to animals than any other current governor in the United States.

So in other words, animal activists really don't like Palin. Support on that front isn't going so well. Remember the gruesome ad about her hunting wolves?