Gail Collins has an Op-Ed in today’s NY Times (Times Select) where she goes after the Republican candidates on animal issues. She mentions Romney and the dog carrier on the roof, McCain’s “menagerie” and she goes after Judith Giuliani and her past affiliation with a company that used dogs to demonstrate surgical projects. (Too bad said company didn’t kill dogs for embryonic stem cell research because that would have been acceptable.)

Collins does get a dig in on Rudy Giuliani as well. Collins writes:

McCain also has a ferret, which could provide ample opportunity for lively discussion with Rudy Giuliani, a well-known ferret-hater. Few of us who lived in New York City during his ferret-banning crusade can forget the day a ferret owner confronted the mayor on a radio-call-in show. Giuliani, in tones of Dr. Phil on steroids, urged him to seek psychiatric care. (“This excessive concern with little weasels is a sickness.”)

Oh, it was much, much better than Dr. Phil on ‘roids. Here’s the exchange:

“I think you have totally and absolutely misinterpreted the law, because there’s something deranged about you. The excessive concern that you have for ferrets is something you should examine with a therapist. Not with me. I’m not insulting you. I’m being honest with you. Maybe no one in your life has ever been honest with you. This conversation is over, David. Thank you. There is something really, really, very sad about you. You need help. You need somebody to help you. I know you feel insulted by that, but I’m being honest with you.
“This excessive concern with little weasels is a sickness. I’m sorry. That’s my opinion. You don’t have to accept it. There are probably very few people who would be as honest with you about that. But you should go consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist, and have him help you with this excessive concern, how you are devoting your life to weasels.”