New York Times columnist Gail Collins, who the hardworking staff has repeatedly pointed out is incapable of mentioning Mitt Romney without adding that he “once drove to Canada with the family dog strapped to the roof of the car,” is at it again in her latest column, but even she’s exhibiting symptoms of Seamus Fatigue (pat. pending):

I know you couldn’t care less about Sarah Palin bowing out of the presidential race, but let me ask you this: Who wants to spend the next 13 months watching Mitt Romney run against Barack Obama? Can I see a show of hands?

I thought so. All of us, regardless of political persuasion, have a stake in trying to keep the Republican presidential fight going through the winter. These are tough times. (“Sesame Street” just announced it’s adding a poverty-stricken Muppet.) We need diversion.

Plus, it doesn’t look as if there’s going to be a professional basketball season. And I cannot really figure out that many ways to mention that Romney once drove to Canada with the family dog strapped to the roof of the car.

Really, there’s never been a better time to enter the Seamus Sweepstakes™: Guess the date on which Collins will write about Romney without mentioning his cartop pooch, and win an all-expenses-paid lunch with the hardworking staff.

You know this can’t go on forever. Or can it?