Hillary Dumped Socks The White House Feline - So Much For A Softer Hillary

Ouch! Hillary Clinton's softer image is clawed over dumped cat

Times Online
October 21, 2007

AS THE “first pet” of the Clinton era, Socks, the White House cat, allowed “chilly” Hillary Clinton to show a caring, maternal side as well as bringing joy to her daughter Chelsea. So where is Socks today?

Once the presidency was over, there was no room for Socks any more. After years of loyal service at the White House, the black and white cat was dumped on Betty Currie, Bill Clinton’s personal secretary, who also had an embarrassing clean-up role in the saga of his relationship with the intern Monica Lewinsky.

Some believe the abandoned pet could now come between Hillary Clinton and her ambition to return to the White House as America’s first woman president.

Snip ......

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2702804.ece

this one has to take the cake.

But this could have just as easily been posted in Free Republic...

What is your POINT?

If Socks was good enough for the White House, then Socks was good enough for the Clinton's new home in upstate NY.

while IN the WH?

Oh dear, double standard again.

Lucky, the Bouvier they abandoned because they didn't bother to train him and he became a problem. (Which will happen with any dog if you don't train them but is absolutely stupid for a dog that grows up to weigh close to 100 lbs.)

of the type of person you are...by extrapolation, then the numbers of animal abusers should show what type of people belong to their party.

Take it a step further and show that those who would dump their pets would dump their supporters. (W has dumped Rex)

I'm a Bouvier owner and lover who still resents the hell out of what the Reagan's did to that great dog because they were too damned lazy to train him themselves and too cheap to have him trained.

A few minutes on google would have shown you that there was nothing in the story. But no, you even had no add in your own snark.

How much lower can they go?

...to get the smell of their own out of their collective nose is beyond me.

kids.

And she secretly visits ann coulter where they toast the destruction of democracy with the blood of American Soldiers.

I can be as stupid as any Hillary hater around here.

:rofl:

... Hillary Clinton and her ambition to return to the White House as America’s first woman president."

Who are those "some people" - besides the author and you?

Just wonderin' ... :shrug:

one of them is FR

I googled

clinton dumped socks cat

The second reason to not vote for Hillary - Bush Iran War enabler.

.....

The nth reason to not vote for Hillary - convenience pet owner!

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CE2DD1630F93AA25752C1A964958260&n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/People/C/Clinton,%20Bill

The resulting photographs of the cat, named Socks, appeared in many newspapers around the country today, angering not only Mr. Clinton but also his 12-year-old daughter, Chelsea, said the Governor's assistants, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One member of the Clinton staff said the photographers had used a kind of catnip to lure Socks outside the gates of the mansion.

"The cat is the flash point for the invasion of privacy" that the Clintons are enduring, an aide said, adding, "The photographers don't have the common decency to leave a little girl's pet alone."

The first family didn't exactly have the time to care for a cat. Care and feeding fell to Clinton's personal secretary, who grew attached to the feline. After years of this, knowing how much the secretary cared for the cat, the Clintons let her keep it.

Not only is this a lame subject for a hit piece, it's not even a decent attempt at one. With no quotes from the secretary and/or the Clintons, who the hell is supposed to know what went on?

person you are.

what exactly?

themselves.

Good for the Clinton's.

way and didn't even consider some of the very valid reasons they may have had for bestowing Boots on Clinton's secretary. I did the very thing I am intolerant of in others.

So I stand corrected and a bit ashamed. :blush:

:-)

For redundancy. MKJ

huh?

MKJ

It's Socks, anyway, they were leaving their house, something many of us experience, and gave the cat to a caring owner, which many of us do.

Shall we talk about the Bush's treatment of their cat when leaving TX or Romney's treatment of his dog?

Welcome to DU! :hi: MKJ

think I've used the cat's correct name ONCE! As as matter of fact, I know I haven't.

See? Another well deserved lesson in humility as to consequences of getting on my self-righteous high horse and SHAMING people. God. I can't get over myself. Will I ever learn? :7

a cat whose name escapes you....

Most of us here remember Socks because he was the first offical White House cat. And, had a unique black and white pattern, especially on his face.

You want to trash Sen. Clinton about this and don't even remember that cat's name, in spite of the fact that it's all over this message board today.

I'm just not sure how you got self-righteous about this tripe. Your indignation bar seems to be set a bit low. MKJ

:rofl:

Well, at least you don't let your previous posts get in the way of your assertion.

See ya round! :hi: MKJ

on edit: your bar is set quite low, no doubt!!!

What was that cat's name again? :shrug:

The Clintons kept him while they gave Socks away. After about a year, Buddy was accidentally run over and killed by somebody in the Secret Service or the Press. Buddy was sort of ignored, and poorly cared for, sorta like the working class or the poor under Clinton :P

but why did they "dump" the cat? its not like they didnt have them for a long time and also why wait untill after the presidancy. of course if they just had socks for kodak moments then it makes sense.

"When Bill Clinton's second presidential term was coming to a close early in 2001, Socks' future had to be considered; relations with Buddy had not improved. Several options were thought about, including keeping him in Hillary's new Senate office, or having him in the new Clinton residence in Georgetown while Buddy stayed at the Chappaqua house. In the end, though, it was thought best that he should be given to Betty Currie, Mr Clinton's former personal secretary and one of Socks' staunchest friends, who has now retired.

Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, Oct 2004: Socks posing for the camera with Betty Currie (although he looks as though he'd rather be somewhere else!) - click to enlarge In mid-2006 Socks was in good health and still living with Betty and her husband in Hollywood, southern Maryland, about 80 miles (130 km) from Washington. In October 2004 he made a now-rare public appearance when Betty was guest speaker at an Officers' Spouses Club luncheon at Andrews Air Force Base. Socks accompanied her and took part in the 'photo op.'

Meanwhile it's good to know that the Clinton Press Office in New York still keeps a dedicated telephone extension for enquiries about Socks!"

more here: http://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/famous/socks.html

--------------------


Right-wingers are really trying hard to make this an issue. It is sad to see the dirt dragged into DU

the cat attention. They also couldn't take it to an apartment, at first.

The secretary wanted the cat. She was attached to it, so the
Clinton's gave in.

What an absolute piece of crap to bash. But the other guy's supporters don't need an excuse they hook up to anything.

/sarcasm

And not the other way around. :-)

oh with a responsible adult...Pretty lame article.

I'm reminded of archaeology. There is the evidence and the interpretation. For example, this is a mix of fact and interpretation:

The First Lady, wishing to ensure that Socks had the best possible care and attention, found a better home for the pet she so loves. Nothing says love like setting a pet free.

It is all in the spin, or as we say in science, interpretation of the evidence.

not what she says. It is not just about the cat. It is about everything. Hillary is the triangulator-in-chief...She always seems to say the right things....hmmm? Which way is the wind blowing today Hill?

as fast as he can... its not just about the dog.

MKJ

and all they can find is the cat :rofl:

What exactly was she cleaning up?

It's unreal this crap is allowed to stay up.

to realize that their lifestyle is not suited to keeping a longtime pet company and to sacrifice their own feelings and find that pet a good and stable home. I really admire her for that. Thanks for sharing this unbiased story without any agenda of your own.

about in New York Times. I remember it being discussed while he was still President and how Socks had to go live with the secretary because of this.

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

eom

Bill turned up allergic and then Hillary.

eom

it was because Socks and Buddy hated one another, and they didn't want to have to keep them seperated in a smaller house.

but I don't understand anyone citing a source that can be changed by ANYONE with no need for evidence.

Give me a -real- source anyday.

Yes, anyone can change a Wikipedia article (with a few exceptions), but the key is that, if garbage is added, anyone can change it back.

The classical approach to accuracy is to make it hard for errors to be introduced. The Wikipedia approach is to make it easy for errors to be corrected.

Wikipedia has a core policy of NPOV, the Neutral Point of View. It's enforced by volunteer editors. The crap that was published in the Times Online would violate that policy and, if added to an article that had some prominence, wouldn't last very long before someone reverted it.

But don't take my word for it. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Compare the two articles for yourself:

(see the second paragraph of the "Biography" section for the discussion of Socks's adoption by Betty Currie)
linked to by the OP

Now, you tell me which one presents the facts more completely and more fairly.

how would one know an allergy existed until one is exposed to the allergin?

IMO, sticking with the cats after this discovery only elevates the Clinton's standing in my view.

:hi:

:hi:

to Bill Frist, I would be upset.

.

This just in - Britney Regains Visitation Rights.

Ahhhh....it's all clear NOW!!!!

See, she and Billy dumped the cat on Bettie because Bill's DOG (that got hit and killed up in NY by a seventeen year old new driver...oooooh, were they having an AFFAIR!!!!!?????) didn't get along with Socks, and Socks was OLD and needed a quieter environment.

But then, Ellen DeGeneres dumped HER pet, a DOG, on her hairdresser's kids because her CATS didn't LIKE the new dog!!!

Put the pieces together, PEOPLE!!!!!

This is one conspiracy that's EASY to figure out!!!

--Blonde WOMEN!!!!!

--Public Figures!!!

--Pets shifted OUT of the home!!!!!!

--Ellen's out....so HILLARY MUST BE GAY!!!!

:sarcasm:

I can't believe --no, strike that, I CAN BELIEVE--That the rightwing UK Times would print that shit. Sadly, I can believe it. If this is the RNC's latest game, they're the ones who are CLAWING. And if the matchup ends up being, say, Clinton v. Romney, there's an Irish Setter named SEAMUS who might wanna weigh in from the grave......

this has to be one of the most dumb, stupid threads I've seen posted on DU.

And no one loves cats more than I do.

it. Geez, the RW nutrags really need to try harder and smarter and stop proving how stupid they are. In this case the Clintons did the best thing they could. Chelsea was no longer at home with her pet. No one really was there to give Socks attention except Betty. Betty loved the cat and wanted him. I see this as a decision that was best for everyone including Socks. Didn't Buddy get killed by a car?

but she could have done far worse.

Chelsea could not take the cat to college. She could have had it put down, or just dumped it off at the shelter.

If something costs Hillary the race, it will not be Socks. But it might be another issue with five letters NAFTA.

Or one with four letters, Iraq, Iran.

should we start a list of the lamest bs of campaign season? jeez!

Having lived with my soft-hearted family's cats for too many years, this seals the deal.

(Dear CatWoman, please don't give up on me. I am the primary feeder-of-other's cats around here, grumble, grumble.)

:shrug: :hi:

:hi:

Is the fact that people here on DU are actually voting for it.

If this is the best you can do to trash Sen. Clinton, she's in helluva good shape for the primary and general.

I think Barney does too.

...the headline says it all, getting in the word "dump" so we'll know just what the author thinks about Hillary's (*) reasons for passing the cat on to the White House secretary. And in case there was any doubt, the word appears again in the text.

But nowhere in the article does it say how this decision was arrived at, it just talks about how this might be used against her, to make her seem less soft and family-like. We should not be so quick to accept it at face value and then use it to bash one of our own candidates. By all means, let us continue discussing issues and why one candidate is or is not Satan's spawn on those grounds; but please let's don't attack our own candidates based on personal decisions that *any* of us might have made, depending on circumstances! (Does the name "Terri Schiavo" ring any bells?)

We must not buy into the so-called "character" issues that the right is so fond of. And anyway, our worst candidate (your choice) is 1000% better than their best candidate (again, your choice) on character! So give it a rest!

===

(*) BTW, why is it assumed to have been Hillary's decision and hers alone? Was not Socks a family pet? And are there not 3 people in the immediate family? So why is it assumed to have been Hillary's sole responsibility?

that we don't know the reasoning behind this. It's entirely possible that Chelsea wouldn't be around to give Boots the attention it needs, and the Clintons felt it would be better for the cat to be in a home where it could receive more attention. I've got to stop reacting in such a knee-jerk way! Thanks for your voice of reason! :toast:

that Bill was highly allergic to Socks.

I don't see the crime in giving the cat a good home, particularly if the secretary had gotten attached to the cat and the original family is always travelling all the time. In my experience, cats adjust quite readily to new homes.

Not that it really matters, but you just gained a ton of respect from me. So rarely do I see anyone here say "you know what, I thought about what you said and I was a bit to quick to judge". The world would be a much better place with more people like you.

:toast:

I'm intolerant of in others - that disturbs me, so your words of understand are much appreciated! :toast:

:eyes:

:rofl:

:rofl: !

MKJ

The personal secretary probably ALWAYS took care of Socks and I find nothing wrong with her taking the cat and loving it.

:eyes:

that's some company you're keeping.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914224/posts

from the DOG. I know ooodles of people who had cats, had a dog and had to get rid of one pet because of issues between them. In fact thats how I got my old cat TURTLE. I guess not wanting her to be EATEN by my sisters terriers makes me and my sister evul republican loving jerks, right?
Really I have to say:
:wtf: :dunce: :dunce: :dunce:
And I don't even LIKE Hillary....

wasn't Socks Chelsea's cat? Wasn't the original story that Chelsea was bound for grad school in England and not able to take Socks with her? Hey didn't the Clintons give socks to someone the cat knew? what a bunch of shit. I'm sure there are all sorts of serious and important thing Hillary can be criticized for this isn't one of them. Articles like this just make me want to vote for HRC more.

Perfect place for turds.

grain of salt.

without even bothering to find them a new home.

That will be my response to any idiot who brings this non-story up to me about Hillary.

Reposted from GD-Pol

They gave him away to a fundraiser in Brentwood for fear he'd tear the W.H. drapes, then Ernie ran away and was found walking down the Avenue of the Stars.

(snip)

Ernie the cat found!

April 10, 2001 | Since the saga of Ernie the cat has gotten its share of attention from RVB readers, we're happy to provide this update from the Associated Press:

President Bush's former cat, missing for weeks, turned up in the dead of night Wednesday strolling Los Angeles' Avenue of the Stars.

By Wednesday afternoon, the orange and white tabby cat was back with Bush fundraiser Brad Freeman and "doing interviews," first lady Laura Bush's office announced at the White House.

http://archive.salon.com/politics/red/2001/04/10/blue/index.html

(snip)

Lost But Now Found: Barney sibling Ernie the cat, who had been missing for more than 3 weeks in L.A., was found in the wee hours strolling along the city's Avenue of the Stars, First Lady Laura Bush's office announced. A security guard who located the president's kittie got a $1,000 reward. The First Lady's spokeswoman said: "Mrs. Bush is delighted that Ernie is back in the good hands of Brad Freeman," the family friend who took Ernie in after the cat was deemed too wild for the White House furniture. "We're pretty confident that Ernie is going to be safe this time."--ABCNews.com, 4/10/01

http://bushybarney.tripod.com/news0301.htm

And apparently, this donor doesn't much care for Ernie:

(snip)

Freeman said he uses different pitches in asking for money, all depending on whom he is talking to, and that he would never do it but for his friendship with Bush.

"Would I rather go to the dentist?" Freeman mused. "Probably."

And what of Ernie? "Unfortunately, the cat's still alive," Freeman intoned. "So it's what I've got for the next four years."

Or at least until the fundraising for Bush's library begins.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/11/29/letter_ed3__7.php?page=2

As for Socks, do we know if he was wearing a Made In China, American flag lapel pin on his collar?

I couldn't understand why their cat was roaming around the L.A. area. The mystery is now solved. :-)

more company for the cat or some such. I am an animal lover, but this is too weak. Now if she tied it to the top of the car for 12 hours, then I will strike her from my list of possibilities.

I have had to leave and give away pets when I moved. It is a hard thing to do. This "criticism" is unfounded. I do not like Hillary, but she did nothing wrong here.

to hate Hillary.

She. Gave. The . Cat. To. Betty. Curry.

...dumped on. What tripe.

I love cats. I do cat rescue and deal with real abandoned and dumped cats, like the ones that are left in parking lots or public parks.

Finding a caring home for an animal is not 'dumping."

Sheesh!

Mz Pip
:dem:

I've always wondered about that. Or does it just have to stay within the family quarters?

BTW, I've never forgiven the Clintons for giving the First Cat away, but I will have to vote for her if she is the D. candidate.

Hillary's not my favorite candidate, but this is a low blow. Should we line her up against the wall along with Ellen Degeneres? Sometimes pets don't work out - there's not enough room for them, they don't get along well, one develops allergies, or one moves to a place that doesn't allow them (I once had to find a new home for my cat for the last reason). At least she took the trouble to find Socks a new owner that she knew fairly well. If she'd dumped the cat in the street, or handed him off to a stranger, it would be another thing entirely.

Sheesh.

As you could meet - he has even been known to gobble GMO-tainted cat treats)
Came in the house, back from his hour in the garden...

He entered our house with what I thought was a trophy of a kill (This would be a first for the fearless skittish prankster - he's been known to hide under the picnic table for an hour when a large turkey vulture feather lands too close to him)

But low and behold, when I examined the "kill" I realized that it was a lumpy brown lunch bag, and on it was written a scrawled note, the paw printing definitely feline in nature.

"Hi there. My name is Socks, and I wanna get the word out. The Clintons treated me as well as they could. I was always loved, fed and cared for. I will admit that sometimes as they were so busy, their staff did the feeding. I enjoyed my stay at the White House.

And I was pleased to go on to live with Betty, when they could no longer cope with my most feline needs.

Betty and I already knew each other. She took care of me and I took care of her (if you've ever had a human, you know what I mean.)

I ask that you copy this message out and pass it on to three cat friends of yours (and their owners)
The Clintons don't deserve harsh words for mistreating me. They didn't. I should know. I am Socks, who was once known as "Socks, the White House Cat".

In delivering this note, Chellbie had the mysterious air of a diplomat who has undertaken a secret mission successfully.

Hilary ate Socks...

it happens all the time. Stupidist post I've seen today.

Socks went to live with someone who loved him, someone who was very much a part of the Clinton's extended family for many years. He wasn't dumped!

If people are dumb enough to go after her over such a silly issue, it will certainly backfire.

Maybe she knew they really didn't have time for a pet at that time and asked someone else to take her who did have the time? :shrug:
Jeez people are reaching and this is stupid.
Duckie

rather then that 'long sleep'.

They gave it to their secretary. Hello? Like Ellen gave the puppy to her hairdresser? Nobody seemed to mind THAT, but for this Hillary is an insensitive bitch.

Hillary haters take note: Stick with her ties to corporations, her voting record and her war support. Crap like this is just crap and worthy of somebody like Bill O'Rielly.