NBC Reporter: GOP Race 'Gotten So Nasty'; Obama 'Pokes Fun' at Romney Being Uncaring Dog Owner

At the top of his Tuesday report for NBC's Today, correspondent Peter Alexander warned viewers about the state of the Republican primary race in Florida: "This campaign has just gotten so nasty lately. By some accounts, more than 90% of the ads that have run in this state have been negative."

Remarkably, later in the same segment, Alexander was happily promoting a nasty line of attack by the Obama campaign against Mitt Romney: "...the president's re-election team is now weighing in on the issue of how Romney treated his former pet....when he put the family dog, Seamus, on the roof of his car."

He further announced: "Monday night, David Axelrod, the president's senior campaign strategist, tweeted this photo of the president with his dog Bo inside the car. Axelrod's caption: 'How loving owners transport their dogs.'" Alexander didn't seem concerned with how negative and juvenile the attack was.

In fact, the headline on screen played off the obnoxious line from Axelrod this way: "To The Dogs; Obama Campaign Photo Pokes Fun at Romney."

"Pokes Fun"? In the general election, look for the liberal media to decry the "nasty" GOP while smirking as Obama launches vicious attacks.

Here is a portion of Alexander's January 31 report:

7:03AM ET

(...)

ALEXANDER: And in a campaign that many think went the to the dogs long ago, the president's re-election team is now weighing in on the issue of how Romney treated his former pet. A recent Gingrich web ad had hounded Romney for a road trip years ago, when he put the family dog, Seamus, on the roof of his car.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: To The Dogs; Obama Campaign Photo Pokes Fun at Romney]

ROMNEY: This is a completely airtight kennel mounted on the top of our car. He climbed up there regularly, enjoyed himself.

ALEXANDER: Monday night, David Axelrod, the president's senior campaign strategist, tweeted this photo of the president with his dog Bo inside the car. Axelrod's caption: "How loving owners transport their dogs."

(...)