A short history of the practice features this gem about President Andrew Jackson from 1833:
The woman handed the dirty-faced infant to Old Hickory. Jackson took it and held it up before him. "Ah! There is a fine specimen of American childhood. I think, madam, your boy will make a fine man some day." Then, with a quick gesture, he put the dirty face of the infant close to the face of Secretary [of War] Eaton, saying quickly and soberly, "Eaton, kiss him?" General Eaton pretended to do so with a wry face, amid the laughter of the crowd, and Jackson then handed the baby back to the happy mother.
(Photo: People laugh as former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney holds a baby during a campaign stop at Seven Oaks Park on January 18, 2012 in Irmol, South Carolina. By Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Dish 