Kathryn, Tierney was being deliberately provocative in using the example of the guy from Virginia — who has, after all, never really had to go door to door asking people to write their Social Security numbers on their arms. It is blithering idiocy to talk punitively about suffering people, especially when you’re not a provocative Op-Ed writer but a politician in the fight of your life. What I meant when I said he should consider running for dogcatcher is that he has a tendency to stick his foot in his mouth at inopportune moments that will not stand him in good stead should he pursue national office. To put it mildly. Though the dogcatcher thing might have been ill-chosen, considering his remark the other year about man-on-dog relations.