Hearst Journalist And His Dog Will Give Pet Lovers and Pundits The Election Scoop In Epic Road Trip Across America

Online, September 6, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Hearst journalist and blogger Hank Herman will hit the road on September 6 with his 9-year-old dog, Ricky the Beagle, for a 15-city tour from Connecticut to California and back to take a look at American politics through the eyes of an apolitical Beagle dog - and his admittedly politically naïve self - to find out what pets, pet lovers, pet parents and pet pundits across America really think about presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Barack Obama and their election platforms.

With all eyes on the political race - most recently the 2012 Democratic National Convention - Hank and Ricky will offer a humorous, irreverent take on American politics through what they're coining "The Roof Rack Report," a playful jab at Mitt Romney's much-maligned strapping of his dog Seamus to the top of his car.

The traveling duo will provide much needed comic relief to Election 2012, and talk to voters about pressing economic, fiscal and social issues facing the country:

- Will the price of dog treats rise because of the national corn scarcity?

- Four in 10 adults will not vote in this year's election. Does the candidates' seeming disdain for man's best friend have anything to do with it?

- What the frick is fracking, and why should your dog care?

Hank will be writing "The Roof Rack Report" on his Hearst Blog, Beagle Man (http://blog.ctnews.com/beagleman), and posting daily on Twitter (#roofrackreport). Follow Hank on Twitter at @BeagleManHank. He is also available for guest blogging opportunities and interviews during and after his trip to discuss his adventures with Ricky the Beagle.

About Hank Herman
Hank Herman is a writer, author and humorist. He writes a Hearst Newspapers column, The Home Team, for Westport News (Conn.) as well as a "laugh-out-loud" blog, Beagle Man, which ruminates on life with his wife, three sons and dog, Ricky the Beagle, who rules them all.

Herman's memoir, Accept My Kid, Please! A Dad's Descent Into College Application Hell, (Da Capo Press, 2005) is a humorous account of his obsession with his son's college applications process and was hailed by The New York Times and Chicago Tribune. He has written fiction for young adults, including Super Hoops (Bantam Books), a series of 15 basketball novels. He was an editor and writer at magazines for many years, serving as editor in chief of Health magazine in the 1980s.