Billionaire and his wife in "dogfight"?

Billionaire right-wing godfather Richard Mellon Scaife — who famously funded an investigation of Bill Clinton's sex life that resulted in a presidential impeachment — is having female troubles of his own.

What comes around. . .?

Police responded to a call last week when Scaife's estranged and apparently enraged second wife, Margaret (Ritchie) Scaife, arrived at his estate in Pittsburgh. She allegedly assaulted his housekeeper, his security chief and his cancer-ridden secretary while a cook fended off her violent attempt to take the family dog.

"I fork-a da crazy bitch! She made da maid, spooked da spook, and crippled da cripple!"

"It's in a trauma. It was almost choked to death when she was grasping the leash," the 73-year-old Scaife, who almost never gives interviews, complained to Lowdown's Nicole Pesce yesterday. "She claims that the dog belonged to her because the dog is in her name on the registration papers. But she gave the dog to me nine years ago. So it's my dog."

"The bitch is MINE! I'm referring to the dog, here! Are we clear? Perhaps not."

But the pooch, a golden Lab named Beauregard, seems the least of Scaife's troubles. At stake in what is shaping up as one of the nastiest divorces in American history is a fortune estimated at $1.2 billion.

He should be able to afford this after the Bush tax cuts. . .

"There's no prenup — so wish me luck!" said Scaife, who was married to the 58-year-old Mrs. Scaife for 14 years before they separated in December.

He's lucky if there were any "nups" at all at that age!

Cops were summoned just before Christmas when Ritchie Scaife allegedly showed up at Westminster Place, as the Scaife mansion is called, and banged on the windows and doors.

I wanted her to bang me behind those windows and doors!

"They led her away in handcuffs," Scaife said.

"She never let me do that"!

As for Clinton supporters, Democrats, liberals and other Scaife-haters who'll delight in his misery, Scaife said, "Let them gloat! That's human nature."

According to your Commander in Chief, that makes you guilty of aiding and abetting the enemy. You are hereby under arrest!

Ritchie Scaife's lawyer, Bill Pietragallo, told Lowdown, "You can't speak to her," but added that his client was in the right, and faced daunting odds. "Four against one in this tussle over a dog," he said. "I suggest you not be a foil for their side of this."

Well. . .his client was entered by "the right" if they can prove consumation.She was only "in the right: if he was into strap-ons and other wierd perversions as so many of these self-righteous, god-fearing pricks seem to be.