Running the state of Georgia must be a snap for Sonny Perdue, the state's colorful Republican governor.
How else to explain all the time Perdue seems to have to do other people's jobs? Not long after taking office in January 2003, he got caught flying the Georgia State Patrol helicopter, even though he doesn't have a helicopter pilot's license. Perdue -- who has a fixed-wing pilot's license -- sloughed off the critics who said the helicopter wasn't his "plaything," but did promise to let the pros take care of the tough stuff such as landing and taking off.
Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue performs surgery on Nelson, a 9-month-old mixed breed.
(Photos John Amis -- AP)
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Now Perdue is playing "What's My Line?" again. This time, at least, he's qualified for the gig. On Thursday, the governor, who is a licensed veterinarian, performed surgery on a mutt named Nelson. The governor's patient, a 9-month-old Rottweiler-Labrador mix, is doing fine after the neutering procedure that Perdue performed to draw attention to the problem of pet owners not spaying and neutering their animals.
Given the, ahem, delicate nature of the job, Nelson was lucky that Perdue hasn't gotten too rusty. The governor had performed a similar procedure a few months ago on a family pet. But since Perdue got on his pet-surgery kick, his brindle boxer, Ivy, runs every time he walks into the room.
"We aren't blood relatives," Perdue said of Ivy. "But I'm sure some people would dispute that."
-- Manuel Roig-Franzia
