If forced to choose between contrived non-stories designed to make an issue of Romney’s faith versus contrived non-stories designed to make an issue of his wealth, I much prefer the latter. Kudos to the LA Times for taking the less slimy route while pushing a core Obama attack line.

Matt Welch finally lost patience today with the drumbeat of sub-moronic stories about Romney and Seamus, but I think his reaction to that works equally well here: “Seriously, historians are going to look back at the coverage of the 2012 election, with its backdrop of totally predictable debtpocalypse and entitlementgeddon, and instead of responsible journalism they’re going to find this sh*t.”

She soon fell in love with dressage, a fussy Olympic sport that is also called “horse ballet.” In dressage, a horse moves in delicate, dance-like steps to music as the rider, formally clad in top hat and tails, imperceptibly guides the animal…

Dressage is not for the faint of wallet; it requires healthy outlays of cash for upkeep, training, transportation and veterinary care. It attracts some of the world’s richest people — the daughter of billionaire New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg competes. Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang and his wife own dressage horses.

A spokeswoman for the Romney campaign would not discuss the costs associated with Ann Romney’s horses. “We are not required to disclose this information,” said Amanda Henneberg in an emailed statement…

Insurance documents in the court file indicate that from November 2006 to November 2007, Ann Romney paid $7,800 to insure five horses against mortality and theft for amounts ranging from $50,000 to $135,000 per horse, which she said was far less than their value. “I self-insure for the rest,” she testified. “Just expensive to have insurance.”

There’s backstory at the link about how dressage helped comfort Romney physically and psychologically after her MS diagnosis, which is nice but doesn’t explain the paper’s interest in the expense. It’s no secret that the Romneys can afford any pastime known to man and it’s no secret that keeping and training horses for sport is a rich man’s endeavor. Why emphasize it if it’s a story about therapy?

In related news, via Mediaite, enjoy this clip of a guy who’s reportedly worth $400 million mocking a guy who’s worth $250 million for being rich. Exit question: Did our president, who could appear on any television show in the universe if he wanted to, really decide to book himself on … Jimmy Fallon?