Presidential dog-walking duties fall to groundskeeper

When the cat's away, or in this case, the first lady, who walks the presidential pooch?

Career National Park Service employee Dale Haney, that's who.

Read an Associated Press story about him, via ABC News, here.

Haney is often spotted walking Bo, the Obama family's Portuguese water dog. In fact, he's tended to every White House pup since King Timahoe, Richard Nixon's Irish setter.

Haney, 57, has been a White House fixture since 1972. After getting a degree in horticulture from Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, N.C., he continued his training in Washington and basically was discovered for his green thumb, as he tells the story.

Besides Bo, he takes cares of the White House's 18-1/2 acres of land, including the Rose Garden and the first lady's vegetable garden.

Now that the health care bill passed in the House, I guess the president will have more time to walk Bo.

Well, maybe not.