Althouse: Socks died.

February 23, 2009

Socks died.

Famous cat ... kaput.

65 comments:

traditionalguy said...: That sucks!; 2/23/09, 11:16 AM
MadisonMan said...: The inevitable finally happened.; 2/23/09, 11:18 AM
Palladian said...: One less cat is always good news for the world.; 2/23/09, 11:20 AM
Chennaul said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 2/23/09, 11:23 AM
Palladian said...: When I was in high school I remember someone bought me a gigantic women's nightshirt at Kmart as a joke. It featured a picture of Socks, asleep, on the front along with the words: "SLEEP, SLEEP, SLEEP... MAYBE SOCKS IS A REPUBLICAN!"

This was before the 1994 midterm elections.

I voted for Clinton in 1996.; 2/23/09, 11:25 AM
AlgonquinS said...: Yeah, I hate to see a good sock die. Meanwhile, where Socks used to live, this happened: "Obama Taps Biden to Oversee Stimulus Package Implementation." We're totally screwed now.; 2/23/09, 11:27 AM
John said...: Sadly with the mysterious death of Buddy a few years ago and now with Socks gone, the real truth of Whitewater and the various Clinton scandles will probably never be known. Rumor is the Axelrod had the poor cat on life support for months hoping for a death bed confession.; 2/23/09, 11:35 AM
The Drill SGT said...: It was sad that the Clinton's made a decision that Socks was disposable when he didn't have any more PR value

When they left the WH they tossed Socks to Betty Curry on the way out the door as a reward/punishment for covering for Bill with Monica :)

I'm glad to see Betty kept him well these 8+ years.; 2/23/09, 11:46 AM
I'm Full of Soup said...: This is to be expected when Titus uses you to wipe his butt.; 2/23/09, 11:48 AM
Chennaul said...: This is to be expected when Titus uses you to wipe his butt.

Somehow it dies twice.; 2/23/09, 11:52 AM
Original Mike said...: Where was Maggie Williams?; 2/23/09, 12:00 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: It was sad that the Clinton's made a decision that Socks was disposable when he didn't have any more PR value

Not really. Cat's don't care as long as there is continuity.

Food same place? Check.
Couch same place? Check
Sunny windowsill? Check
Litter box cleaned? Check
People gone? Whatever.

The abandonment however, is typical. When politicians use pets as props they really don't care about them as actual pets or living beings.; 2/23/09, 12:02 PM
KCFleming said...: At least it didn't end up under the bus.

***WARNING: graphic and disturbing image***; 2/23/09, 12:03 PM
rhhardin said...: ``Best pussy I ever had.''; 2/23/09, 12:12 PM
Original Mike said...: @Pogo:

I got into my 1970 Malibu many years ago, turned over the engine, and heard a serious whump, whump, whump from the engine compartment. Turned off the engine and fearfully popped the hood (my income was very low, I couldn't afford to fix whatever had apparently just broken). To my relieve, what I found was a battered, bloody, dead cat. It had crawled up into the engine compartment (you could fit a cow into that engine compartment, it was so big and spread out) and was resting in the fan enclosure, apparently for the radiator heat. I felt bad for the cat, but elated there was nothing wrong with my engine.; 2/23/09, 12:12 PM
traditionalguy said...: Will there be a state funeral? I do really marvel that this is the News are fiddling with while our Financial Rome burns. Was it Bush's fault for arrogantly causing the alternately Global Warm and Cold spells? I hear that Sarah Palin shoots cats, or something, but she carefully never shoots toward Russia.; 2/23/09, 12:25 PM
rhhardin said...: If you don't return at the usual time, a cat assumes you've been eaten by a larger animal.

Then its first concern is how it's going to pay the rent.

h/t somebody's cartoon long ago.; 2/23/09, 12:27 PM
Ralph L said...: Our first and most loved office cat was named Pancake because he had to sniff every vehicle that came on the yard. Unfortunately, that meant we had to let him out 20 times a day. He always moved away when the engine started, so he never got squashed. Drinking from puddles ruined his health because we sell bulk lime and fertilizer, which get everywhere.

He died last Bastille Day, 16 years to the hour after my grandmother. The boss gave him insulin shots twice a day for 2 years.; 2/23/09, 12:32 PM
KCFleming said...: My neighbor's cat ran away several years ago.

Last year they were getting the duct work vaccumed out and, you guessed it: one desiccated kitty.

My own cat however simply refuses to be coaxed into the ductwork, no matter how many treats I thrown into them.

I keed, I keed.; 2/23/09, 12:35 PM
bearbee said...: What Drill SGT said. Disposal cat. Along with Buddy the troublesome dog.

Obama was playing the pr game with What Dog Shall We Get. Hope that has been put to rest.

None strike me as people who have a love of animals.; 2/23/09, 12:41 PM
I'm Full of Soup said...: Bearbee:

You could have written:

Hope.......that has been put to rest.; 2/23/09, 12:45 PM
Ron said...: Socks saw his 401K after they nationalized the banks, and decided to hit the '10 items or less' checkout line early...; 2/23/09, 12:56 PM
Michael Haz said...: Socks's body was found in a DC park, with a recently-fired antique handgun less than a paw's width away. Hillary Clinton, who has no immediate recollection of knowing Socks, was conveniently in Asia. But she has people in DC.....; 2/23/09, 1:03 PM
Ralph L said...: How could someone Not smell a dead animal in their ductwork?; 2/23/09, 1:05 PM
Roberto said...: Drill Head - "It was sad that the Clinton's made a decision that Socks was disposable when he didn't have any more PR value."

Inane drivel, as usual.

bearbee said..."Obama was playing the pr game with What Dog Shall We Get. Hope that has been put to rest. None strike me as people who have a love of animals."

Right. Probably because you know them so well.

Inane drivel, continued.; 2/23/09, 1:09 PM
Jason said...: Headline: Bill Clinton turns down teenage pussy.; 2/23/09, 1:09 PM
Buford Gooch said...: "Pogo said...
At least it didn't end up under the bus."

Woohoo! Sailcat!; 2/23/09, 1:10 PM
bearbee said...: @ AJ Lynch:

Ha, ha.....

Along with Socks.; 2/23/09, 1:11 PM
KCFleming said...: How could someone Not smell a dead animal in their ductwork?

You have to meet my neighbors.
Explains everything.

For one thing, that wasn't their only cat. Lemme put it this way, they seemed equally unaware of the urine smell from umpteen animals.

What's a little death smell when you got fecal matter around?

Mr. Herriman knew how to handle cats.; 2/23/09, 1:15 PM
Dust Bunny Queen said...: Anyone who has ever had a cat can relate to this funny video; 2/23/09, 1:16 PM
Kensington said...: Every dead cat is a step in the right direction, but only because I'm allergic.; 2/23/09, 1:24 PM
Michael Haz said...: @Michael - Please check the settings on the electronic controls in your implanted microchip. Two of them may be set incorrectly.

Dipswitch #16 should be set to 'Pleasant On'.

Dipswitch #26 should be set to 'Sense of Humor On'.

Then reboot.; 2/23/09, 1:24 PM
Anonymous said...: I wonder if they'll get rid of his remains by putting him in the dryer.; 2/23/09, 1:53 PM
garage mahal said...: Wonder if this will inspire a posse comitatus somewhere.; 2/23/09, 2:02 PM
George M. Spencer said...: I think you have a misspelling in that headline, Professor.

You mean "Stocks Died," right?''

Gold's 'Perfect Storm' Rages On

Experts See a Rise to $2,000 as Investors Seek Safe Haven; 2/23/09, 2:22 PM
kjbe said...: We also lost our cat almost a week ago. What I miss the most is the wisp of movement from that dark little shadow coming out from around the corner. What I don’t miss is the constant monitoring of a cat in decline. I miss lolcats, too - hoping to get back to that soon.; 2/23/09, 2:37 PM
KCFleming said...: Our cat has figured out there is some connection between the radio alarm going off in the morning, me hitting the snooze bar, and me getting up to feed teh kitty.

So it has begun climbing up onto the bedside table and hitting the radio with her paw and quickly looking at me to see if I get up.

If it learns to use car keys I am in trouble.; 2/23/09, 2:55 PM
The Drill SGT said...: teach it to use the can opener :); 2/23/09, 3:00 PM
bearbee said...: If it learns to use car keys I am in trouble.

She probably already knows but is not letting you know.

Check your odometer.; 2/23/09, 3:00 PM
KCFleming said...: I think it should get a job.

Maybe some of the stimulus package can be used for work we'd be doing anyway; her litter box is shovel-ready.

I have been wondering about our recent phone bills. Is there a cat porn dial-up number?; 2/23/09, 3:03 PM
Cedarford said...: AJ Lynch said...
This is to be expected when Titus uses you to wipe his butt.

Reluctantly, I have to agree this is a plausible theory.
Tossed aside like garbage by the Clintons. Then used as a buttwipe by Althouse's favorite gay coprophiliac.

Why did Socks die?
For the same reason as men typically die years ahead of their beloved in marriage.

Because they WANT to die!

What was left for the poor beast to do? How far it had fallen since those halycon White House Days being followed by 20 MSM types..

Note: My wife vehemently disagrees with this theory.; 2/23/09, 3:08 PM
Anonymous said...: Pogo: Does this seem familiar?; 2/23/09, 3:29 PM
X said...: Man, I hate my fucking cat. I wish I was as sorry as the Clintons and could dump her on someone.; 2/23/09, 3:40 PM
Balfegor said...: Very sad. My mother's cat died over the holiday. Was eaten by a coyote in the wee hours of the morning. Looked a little like Socks, in fact.

When it snowed here in DC a week or so ago, I was humming the Yuki ya kon kon children's song to myself, and when I got to the neko ha kotatsu de maruku naru (the cat curls up on the heated coffee table) I felt terribly sad.; 2/23/09, 3:52 PM
Eli Blake said...: Socks had one life.

But the Clintons have nine.; 2/23/09, 3:57 PM
Eli Blake said...: Balfegor:

A coyote in DC?

Then again, being a rural guy and remembering the gun control laws in DC, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. Next thing you know, you'll have rattlesnakes too.; 2/23/09, 4:00 PM
LordSomber said...: Don't feel too bad. Right now Socks is up in Heaven playing poker with Buddy and Vince Foster.; 2/23/09, 4:09 PM
Balfegor said...: Balfegor:

A coyote in DC?

No, California. Visited family for the holidays.; 2/23/09, 4:14 PM
David said...: "Sadly with the mysterious death of Buddy a few years ago . . ."

What mystery? Buddy was hit by a car. Buddy would have been a lot better off with Betty Curry, who would have cared enough to keep him out of the street.

By the way, Obama promised the country a puppy. Is Obama so indecisive he can't even determine what kind of dog to get? How about a dog czar?; 2/23/09, 4:38 PM
Big Mike said...: Socks had a useful role -- Hillary Clinton made some money by bundling letters and Emails addressed to Socks and/or Buddy into a children's book. What more do you want out of a pet?; 2/23/09, 4:49 PM
AllenS said...: Helen, that was hilarious.; 2/23/09, 4:53 PM
Palladian said...: "I have been wondering about our recent phone bills. Is there a cat porn dial-up number?"

Kitty porn is illegal!; 2/23/09, 5:08 PM
Emily Carson said...: Obama is having a tough time, choosing between an Irish setter, a Great Dane, a German Shepherd, a French poodle or a Labrador Retriever.

On the other hand, our relationships with western countries are pretty good right now so my guess is that he makes a foreign policy statement by choosing an Afghan Hound.; 2/23/09, 5:20 PM
Emily Carson said...: He's also probably already got the dog picked, but the official rollout will be on a day when he wants to distract from something else he's doing.; 2/23/09, 5:20 PM
Michael Haz said...: @David: Dog czar - that was funny!; 2/23/09, 5:26 PM
David said...: Thank you, Michael. I am almost never funny.; 2/23/09, 5:50 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: Your many pet-related quips and japes and your sardonic Clinton-related barbs have cheered me.; 2/23/09, 6:50 PM
chuck b. said...: Bad kitty! http://tr.im/gIsK; 2/23/09, 10:04 PM
chuck b. said...: Comment at the post link, "I can’t believe Bill Clinton didn’t want to live with 20 year old pussy."

lol.; 2/23/09, 10:14 PM
Eli Blake said...: Note: Socks DIDN'T technically DIE.

HE was PUT TO SLEEP.

This was a humane way to end his life so he wouldn't be forced to die in pain.

WHEREAS, (residents of the Great Northwest-- i.e. Washington and Oregon excepted)

if YOU are terminally ill, you cannot get a lethal injection. Not even if you want one.

But RATHER, the American Taliban who control this country mandate that you must suffer. You must die in pain because even though we have the technology to stop you from going through that, THEY believe it is GOD'S WILL that you should die a slow and painful death, and so they want to FORCE YOU to SUFFER (and oh, yeah-- also use up your life savings and go bankrupt as you are forced to accept and pay for treatment that you don't want.)

In fact, if you are terminally ill, the only way you can get a lethal injection is that you have to go to Texas and shoot somebody else.

Socks was lucky enough to have an owner who recognized when it was time, and let him leave this world in peace and dignity.; 2/23/09, 10:20 PM
Eli Blake said...: And before anyone makes the point--

Obama and the Democrats are less beholden to the religious mafia than the Republicans are, but I'd still be surprised if they passed anything resembling an assisted suicide law. The religious zealots control a lot of money, and a lot of votes, so that even their enemies are afraid to move on issues like this (or gay marriage, or marijuana legalization, to name a few.); 2/23/09, 10:23 PM
chuck b. said...: Are there people here who get exercised about the difference between the words "euthanize" and "euthanatize"? Fun!; 2/23/09, 10:25 PM
Peter V. Bella said...: This sounds to good to be true. Socks, like Buddy, knew too much about the Clinton crime family and had to be eliminated. An autopsy would probably reveal foul play. Who or what will be next?; 2/23/09, 11:50 PM
rhhardin said...: The Clintons announce the death of Buddy, real audio Jan 3, 2002.; 2/24/09, 4:36 AM
bearbee said...: .....so my guess is that he makes a foreign policy statement by choosing an Afghan Hound.

Need to keep Chinese credit flowing so how about:

the Chinese Crested Dog, Manchurian Hairless Dog, Chinese Foo dog or the
Chow Chow

And if Hillary is trying to get N Korea to toe the line, need to consider:

the Poong san, Jindo or the Sapsal

And, of course, the Russian Bear will need to be placated at some point so all these
Russian Breeds must be considered.

Does Venezuela have a national breed? Need to keep that oil flowing.

Ahhhhh......so MANY policy decisions.........

Yes, yes. I see the immediate need for the suggested Dog Czar.; 2/24/09, 6:40 AM