Seen, Heard & Whispered: Babydog’s Outback habit, GOP ad savings and Barrasso’s medical dictionary
by Alex Swoyer · The Washington TimesBabydog loves a Bloomin’ Onion
Sen. Jim Justice is a big fan of Outback Steakhouse — and so, apparently, is his dog.
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The West Virginia Republican is a frequent guest at the Outback in a strip mall in Arlington, Virginia, where he orders a small steak and a salad with tomatoes, “Seen, Heard & Whispered” is told.
And his pet bulldog, Babydog, gets Outback’s signature Bloomin’ Onion.
Mr. Justice could certainly go higher-brow if he wanted. The former West Virginia governor was once pegged to be worth more than a billion dollars, though that value has slipped in public rankings.
But a former staff member tells us he — and Babydog — like what Outback has to offer.
It’s no surprise Babydog accompanies the senator. The dog has also been a fixture at press conferences and public events.
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She’s famous enough to have her own Wikipedia page, which lists her as 6 years old and notes that she hates celery and loves chicken nuggets. Our source confirmed that, saying the nuggets are even more of a favorite than the Outback onion.
The dog was a gift from Mr. Justices’ children and was named after his grandson kept asking, “Where’d that Babydog go?”
As governor, Mr. Justice used the dog to push his constituents to get vaccine shots.
Babydog also made an appearance on stage at the 2024 Republican National Convention.
But all of that celebrity hasn’t earned her floor permission in the Senate. The chamber allows only service animals.
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Supreme Court rulings are helping GOP pinch pennies in Senate campaigns
The Supreme Court delivered a pair of victories to the GOP on campaign spending cases this year, and Senate Republicans have wasted no time in capitalizing.
The first ruling erased limits on coordinated spending between political party committees and candidates, and the second let those joint operations get cheaper advertising rates.
Heavyweight groups, such as the Republican National Committee and the campaign arms of House and Senate Republicans, have leveraged those into a major cash advantage, a national party operative tells “Seen, Heard & Whispered.”
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They’re saving as much as 60% on direct mail postage and can sometimes get discounts of more than 90% on broadcast ads when they coordinate with candidates.
And thanks to deals with streaming services such as Disney+, Hulu and YouTube, they can save 30% on ads placed on those online outfits.
The Supreme Court in June overturned a 25-year-old precedent that had upheld limits to how much a political party could spend in coordinated expenditures with a campaign.
The justices, in a 6-3 decision, said those limits conflicted with the First Amendment.
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Then in early September the justices stepped in and revived a Federal Election Commission policy that said political parties, when they spend in coordination with a candidate, must be granted the same low ad rates that are available to the candidates themselves.
While the ruling applied to all political parties, Republicans are expected to benefit more because they have put more effort into coordinated fundraising and spending.
The doctor is in — the Senate
Peek inside GOP Sen. John Barrasso’s Senate desk and you’ll see a curious volume tucked alongside the usual legislative paperwork.
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“Seen, Heard & Whispered” has learned that Mr. Barrasso keeps a medical dictionary, with tabs marking important pages.
It seems that Mr. Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon in private practice before he won his seat from Wyoming, has become the preferred second opinion for Senate colleagues who are ailing.
They’ll approach him on the Senate floor, and if he needs to check something, he’ll turn to the dictionary to help him form his advice.
It was Mr. Barrasso who, when Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell froze at a lectern in 2023, stepped in and guided the Republican leader back to his office.
• Seen, Heard & Whispered is a weekly column taking you inside the conversations happening in Washington’s power corridors, the moves being made and the whispers that explain what’s really going on in the nation’s capital. Email tips to whispered@washingtontimes.com. Click here to receive this in your inbox every Friday morning.
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Alex Swoyer
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