From Whigs to Whags
Historians trace the Whag Party to the break-up of the Whig Party in the mid 1800's. Millard Fillmore, the last Whig president, was denied nomination by the disintegrating Whig Party in 1856. One segment of the Whigs formed the Know Nothing Party, and Fillmore led their ticket in 1856. He lost, and the Know Nothings were soon absorbed by the new Republican Party, where know-nothing policies are still influential.
The Whigs who chose not to join the Know Nothings, knew one thing. Disgusted with Fillmore and his know-nothing followers, these Whigs wandered away from politics altogether and took their dogs with them. This, of course, pleased the dogs and made their tails wag. These disillusioned Whigs and their tail-wagging dogs soon came to be know as Whig Wags, and eventually as simply "Whags."
For the next 150 years, the Whags kept a low profile, simply observing the antics of Democrats and Republicans alike. However, by 2006, it was obvious that both Republicans and Democrats had lost their way and were unlikely to find their way back any time soon. Gradually, Whags emerged from their self-imposed obscurity, and began a quiet search for new leadership. They found it in Cleo's back yard, and Cleo was appointed Whag Party National Chairdog in 2006.
Under Cleo's stewardship, the Whags quickly regained prominence in influential circles. By 2007, grateful Whags drafted Cleo to run for president. Pundits have observed that Republicans and Democrats fear Cleo's and her followers' uncanny ability to smell a skunk from a mile off. Look for the national parties to stumble in their 2008 quest for the White House, as Whags nip relentlessly at their heels.