Not sure how much the Clintons really liked their pets. At end of the second term, they gave Sox the cat to secretary Betty Curry, and in a short time after moving to their new house, let Buddy the dog get killed by a car.

Sad, because for a short period in 1998, Buddy was the only friend Bill had.

not too sure how much bush jr. liked his pets, either.

considering how he threw one of them to the ground.

Let us not forget LBJ and his infamous Beagle ears hold 'em.

I think the Nixon pet just ran away, aided by a sympathetic Secret Service.

FOG: Buddy and and his leftie were the only two things Slick Willy had in late 1998. Hill's thermomater went all the way down to zero degrees and the Lewinsky humidor where he like to store his ceegars was removed from the White House forever. Tough year!

props, just props, those kids will look cute with their new doggie out on their new swingset. aw, that should keep the American media happy for months and month. Did Obama name the dog after himself BO?

What animal shelter did the Obama's get their dog BO from?

Apparently it was a gift from Teddy Kennedy? So it came from the Kennedy Compound Dog Shelter. And it is named Bo after Diddly which was Michelle's father's nickname. Cute huh?

@Rhonda: They got him from a breeder. My father bred champion English Pointers when I was growing up. Very special, very selective, very specific dogs for very specific people. We also had a family dog which was total Heinz 57. Good breeders don't deserve to be vilified, and I'm afraid they will be by people who think they're all puppy mill Cruella De Villes.

Didn't Obama make a big deal out of getting a dog from the pound? I thought he named it after himself, BO!

Why take an ole pound mutt when you can have a Kennedy…uh dawg!

Goldfish are way more quiet.

@Rhonda:

as someone who owns three rescue dogs (including one who is blind and diabetic–when I went to adopt the second one the time was up for the blind one and they were desperate to find anyone to take him so I did and so glad I did…even though he is blind he gets along just find and is a real love bug and his two bros watch out for him) i was DEVASTATED that the Obamas didn't follow through with their plan to adopt a rescue dog especially when it just takes a few minutes to find a hypo allergenic dog on Petfinder like a Wheaten Terrier or a Labradoodle.

I think the Kennedys who are such snobs just seduced the Obamas into getting a Portuguese Water Spaniel which by the way are too hyperactive for young kids.

I understand parents of young kids are less likely to get shelter dogs cause they need to be sure what they are getting but at least half of shelter dogs that get put to sleep each year are pure breeds especially now in a recession.

Worse still all the puppy mills will be pumping out as many Portuguese water dogs as they can.

What depresses me the MOST about puppy mills AND EVEN BREEDERS is that they have poor females delegated to cages without families to love pumping out one litter after another. Even top breeders to this.

Look at any pure bred dog on the street including your own and remember it has a mother whose whole life is limited to pumping out one litter after another til she is too sick to pump out any more and then she is discarded or put down.

It really makes me sick. The obamas have been a disappointment on so many levels.

too bad Ted Kennedy didn't have a Portuguese Water Spaniel to save that poor girl who drowned when he got drunk and drove her off a pier. Dont forget dear Teddy not only abandoned her at the lake instead of waiting for someone to find her he went back home, changed, made sure plenty of people saw him, all in order to pretend he wasnt even there. I can understand this being an accident but he abandoned the scene.

I am English and many English people including myself were enraged when Kennedy was knighted by the Queen. What a joke.

Kennedy has done jack shit in Congress in years. No wonder the family is cursed.

American Dreamer: I agree with you, whatever, was the monarchy thinking by knighting that murdererous lout. Seems like the brain cancer has made him more beloved by the general public? I used to like some of the Kennedy's but in recent years they have become lame and have serious entitlement issues.

@Joe Blow:

Catherine Kennedy Townsend (if I remember her full name correctly) was one bright shining exception. She did a wonderful job as Attorney General of Maryland but failed to win a seat in Congress.

Everyone proclaims Ted Kennedy as this great Democratic leader of Congress but he has accomplished very little if anything in recent years. Massachusetts is woefully underserved by him. He has absolutely zero interest in pursuing Massachusett's interests.

And Patrick Kennedy has done squat for Rhode Island which is in such terrible shape.

Thank god the people of New York and the Governor saw through this.

I really don't think Ted Kennedy should be treated like a saint for the life he has led.

Agree Kathleen Kennedy Townsend seems to be one of the brighter members of the family but then she is one of RFK's daughters. Patrick is Teddy's kid so the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One has to wonder what kind of President Joe Jr. would have been had he not died in WWII.

@Joe Blow:

I remember Ted had been drinking with Patrick and his cousin Smith (cant remember the first name) the day Smith raped that girl in the car.

And of course Smith suffered no consequences for comitting that rape. It must have been so hard for that poor girl to step forward. I am the victim of a sexual assault myself which I had the courage to bring to justice fortunately with the perpetrator going to jail for a long long time.

One other quick thing: is it just me or is the decision to get a dog from a breeder…and trying to pathetically cover it up as a "second chance" dog … from the Kennedys no less….emblematic of how Obama who once claimed to be the agent of change is anything but change.

There are so many programs he was promising that have fallen by the wayside.

And his economic plan shows no bold initiatives.

He is just wasting away a trillion dollars that will probably make my three daughters pay to some foreign investor for the rest of their lives.

I am itching for another democrat to replace him in 2012

@american dreamer:

I can tell your very passionate about the subject of animals. So am I. I love my pets. Never had a rescue dog, but a friend of mine always gets rescue dogs. My best friend got me a german shepherd mix for my birthday, after my Beau died. The vets said they didn't see anything but shepherd! Shepherds are wonderful dogs and so much fun.

I only made a big deal out it because Obama said he would get a shelter dog.

Our national healthcare plan will bear Kennedy's name, bet you money!

@american dreamer: Everything, Obama, says has an expiration date. I just heard on the radio, a little while ago, that Deseree Rogers, Obama's social secretary says even the WH Easter Egg Roll was "focused grouped" I'm sure thats how that "second chance" puppy stuff came about.

It does seem that most Kennedy's are coated with Teflon since no charges ever stick. You mean Dr. Steve Smith, no doubt he became a gynecologist, although he has managed to remain under the radar for the past several years.

@Joe Blow:

I'm hoping that with Caroline Kennedy's disgraceful exit from the NY Senate Race and the complete disaster that resulted from eight years of G.W. Bush in the White House…and to a lesser extent Clinton's failed presidential bid…America is finally ready to say goodbye to political family dynasties.

Ironically two of the best senators in congress are women who inherited their senate seats from their deceased husbands…Olympia Snowe of Maine…who is a moderate Republican…(and Greek!!!) and that lady who is Senator from Missouri.

Everyone who can afford to have one and has the time to care for one should have a dog. The family dog on some days is the only creature that acts like it is happy to see me. And that's something.

@fanofgrendel:

or you could just find yourself a girlfriend or boyfriend who likes to be led around the apartment on all fours while wearing a harness and collar

@american dreamer</a

in fact one of my ex boyfriends from Bed Stuy looked a lot like that Portuguese Water Spaniel. Very hirsute.

@fanofgrendel: My girl has been with me for a decade now. Others have come and gone, including family, but my girl is still with me. She has indeed been my best friend.

I, for one, am shocked. SHOCKED! Look at that picture!

How can the President humiliate himself that way?

NOW he's bowing to a dog!

And don't EVEN try to tell me that it's because the dog is shorter than him either.

When will he LEARN!?

that little girl is a lot sweeter and cuter than that yukky old king, just saying.

@ Rhonda :-D

@bam-a-lam:

impossible. a man's best friend cannot be a woman unless he is Regis.

i still think they should have gotten a jack russell!

I never met a puppy I didn't like! my "beau" died two years ago.

@Rhonda: Had your beau been with you a long time?

@american dreamer: My girl is an angel sent from the heavens to guide me, ground me, comfort me, give me a reason to get up at times when there seemed no other reason. A beautiful black angel.

Bam, yes, got him when he was 3 months old and he spent 12 years with me. After he died, my next birthday my best friend brought me a little german shepherd puppy. I'm real happy to have him, Beau's picture remains on the fridge. I'm going to cry!

I bet if Sasha had her choice they would've gotten a pit bull cause she deserves a dog as fierce as she is (as long as it is not a pit bull with lipstick).

Bam,

I have a black shepherd, he's beautiful and very smart!

Our family dog looks similar to this:

It is a pomeranian yorkie mix.

And yes, I am man enough to pull this off.

@Rhonda: Aww, my girl is a black lab, and I got her when she was 3 months also! We've moved to different houses, states, survived an ice storm with no power for several days, been snowed in and snowed under. We've lived on biscuits & gravy a few times and she never complained. She's just looked joyous since day one. Puts a smile on my face.

@fanofgrendel: Too cute, man. My husband picks my girl up and puts her in the truck to ride with him. She can't jump in anymore without help. She rides in the cab, with her head hanging out the window, ears and lips flapping. God, she loves that. We help her onto the bed where she consumes an alarming amount of space, but she's so flexible she just bends to fit.

What do you call that? A porkie? Pomorkie? Yorkeranian? You must be MUCH man - kidding.

@bam-a-lam:

Recognized Names:
American Canine Hybrid Club = Yoranian
Designer Dogs Kennel Club = Yoranian Terrier

She really is mom and daughter's dog, but when they are not around, I'm a good third choice. She doesn't bother them at supper, but gives me twenty minutes to eat, and then insists I pick her up. That happens every night.

Dog absolutely hates Jossip and is ashamed of me spending so much time in this den of liberal zeit geist.

But where else can you find Obama, pirates, and the Shamwow guy competing for their place in the culture war. Jossip is like the bar in Star Wars.

Bam, she sounds like an angel, I love some good biscuits and gravy, my granma and granpa were from Ky!

Fan,

My shepherd would love your dog! Frankly, he scared to death of the "fat cat" that lives here also. Your dogs a cutey!

@Rhonda: As long as you have flour & grease for a little roux, you can make some awesome gravy can't you? Whip you up some biscuits, and ta-da! You got a damned good meal on the cheap. That and oatmeal, I learned in those lean years, will keep you alive. Geez, we had to heat by kerosene heater (gross) one winter, plus body heat from huddling together. Ah, those challenging yet strength building wonder years.

Bam, yes I can make "alright" biscuits and gravy, can't beat granma's sausage gravy and scratch biscuits, they were wonderful!

mmm sausage gravy biscuits.

Rhonda? You sound like you way past those birthen years. Guess you don't have a man around to tell ya what's up and down. Shit, you're probably useless with that dried up uterus of yours. that doesn't stand well in my party, lady. Now go make yourself useful and live in an island deserted past deserted! You obviously have nothing (child bearing) to bring to the conservative table, and no real conservative wants to hear some useless woman yip and yabber about politics. Now off with ya!

@fanofgrendel: Only a faggot would own a dog like that. Off with ya to the ovens, homo lover!

P.S. Rhonda? You have friends? wow. I guess cat ladies get around after all.

His child is allergic to dog dander and after an exhaustive search of animal shelters they realized it was not possible to find a hypoallergenic dog without getting a purebred. What kind of twisted person would not expect a father to do what's in the best interest of his children's heath? Oh but conservatives don't even think of these girls as children with feelings and heath issues they are just photo opts it actually bothers some sick people to see these little girls on their swing set playing at the White House. Our last President had a purebred I don't remember anyone complaining then. But that is the convenient conservative affirmative action when they do something it is fine when someone else does it is wrong. Like our last President getting into Yale with a C average conservative affirmative action=were entitled nobody else is.

@Real Man: anyone needing to call himself a "REAL MAN" probably isn't.

I bet you were the "youngest one in curls".

@fanofgrendel: It's that small penis syndrome….

Getreal,

are you paid to apologize for everything Barry does? How do you know they did an exhaustive search of shelters? They got the dog from the murderer Kennedy. Face it your guys pretty much a liar. Nobody cares what kind of dog the Obama's get, you twit, why does he (I guess he didn't have his telepromter, to tell him what to say.)have to make a big deal out of a dog from a shelter. It's an adorable puppy, why did he have to name it after himself? BO he's almost as stuck on himself as you are!

Real Man,

I'll bet your cave is very cozy. You probably don't have a dog, it probably ran away.

@getreal:

what you should do is go on http://www.petfinder.com and select "dog" and under "breed" select "wheaten terrier" or "portuguese water spaniel" or one of the other hypo allergenic breeds and you'll see there are plenty of them even in the Washington D.C. area

i dont mind a parent buying a dog from a responsible breeder for special circumstances but when the parent is a president and you know his acquisition of the portuguese water spaniel is going to set off a frenzy of breeders imprisoning portuguese water spaniel bitches to pump out one litter after another for the rest of the life it really depresses me

@Rhonda:

sounds to me like he DOES have a dog: a real bitch who is covered in hair and walks around on all fours. that yells at him for not bringing home enough dough from his job as a low level office worker.

The dog was named after Bo Didley the great American bluesman. Some people choose to purchase pedigreed dogs I own two pedigreed dogs it is a person choice. The problem with pound puppies is they can never absolutely guarantee a dog's parentage unless it comes from a breeder. That is why you go on pound websites and you see 20 pound "chihuahuas" when the American Kennel club dictates any chihuahua over 9 pounds must have mixed parentage. If a certain kind of dog will harm the Presidents child they need a guaranteed hypoallergenic not a maybe mixed dog. This is a non-issue for people who have personal not political reasons for hating our President.

NOBODY cared about what kind of dog, barry got his kids, HE made a big deal out of getting a pound puppy. Barry has a hard time telling the truth without his telepromter telling him what he thinks. Just saying……….

named after Bo Didley, that's a good one!

Noone here doubts your dog's pedigree:) Your the president of your own corporation, after all!

Why did he get a black dog?

@fanofgrendel: I feel a case of the vapors coming on…

He picked a dog that was most compatible with the health of his child. That's all. He hoped to find a pound puppy for his daughter but a portuguese water dog "mix" is not a portuguese water dog it is a mutt which could exacerbate his child allergies. I know there are some people who seem to live in a fantasy world but this was a decision based on facts by two parents in the best interest of their child.

i think the dog was second hand after all–his original name was charlie. but still, this is one of those mountain out of a molehill moments. the prez wanted a pound puppy and this was a gift—who cares? as long as we get a little slice-of-life happy puppy moment every now and then. i wasn't a fan of bush, but those barney christmas videos were pretty darn charming.