Former First Pet, Socks the Cat, has released a statement endorsing Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) over Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY), her former owner.
Speculation had been growing that the Clinton-era White House cat was one of the 400-plus Superdelegates whose vote could decide the Democratic Party's nominee for President of the United States.
In recent weeks, delivery trucks from pets.com had been pulling up at all hours outside the home of Betty Curie, Bill Clinton’s personal secretary who adopted the cat when the Clintons left the White House in 2000.
Neighbors saw deliverymen bringing in cases of “Smarty Kat’s Certified Organic Catnip” and noted discarded boxes marked “Hagen Living World Cat Spa” and “Felinerina’s Sparkle Kitty Sweater Dress” in the recycling pile.
“I know government pensions are cushy, but really… that seemed excessive, and so unlike Betty,” noted one neighbor who requested anonymity because she played bridge twice weekly with Ms. Currie.
Socks’ succinctly worded statement, “You choose Buddy, I’m choosing Barack... Meow!”, may allude to lingering resentment over the Clintons’ decision to move First Dog Buddy to Chappaqua, NY instead of Socks.
(Buddy was tragically struck and killed by a car in January of 2002 and thus is not expected to cast a delegate ballot during the nominating convention in Denver, Colorado this summer.)
How this endorsement will affect Senator Clinton’s standing with cat-lovers remains to be seen.
The Clinton campaign denied lobbying for the cat's affection and reacted to the endorsement by noting that “Senator Obama tends to do well with cats, so we expected this. We remain focused on winning in Ohio and Texas on March 4th and on providing real solutions for real American people – not just their pets.”
