Axelrod tweaks Romney over strapping dog to car roof

The comment was a reference to a widely circulated story about how Romney strapped his family dog, Seamus, in a kennel to the roof of his car during a 12-hour road trip to Canada despite the Irish setter suffering from diarrhea. The incident happened in 1983.

That ancedote became fodder for a Newt Gingrich campaign ad earlier this month. Romney has since defended the decision, saying the dog was comfortable.

"This is a completely air-tight kennel and mounted on the top of our car,” Romney told Fox News. “He climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself. He was in a kennel at home, a great deal of time as well. We loved the dog. It was where he was comfortable and we had five kids inside the car. My guess is he liked it a lot better in his kennel than he would have liked it inside."