AP: Police rule Buddy's death an "accident"

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[ambrose]

Buddy,' the Clintons' Dog, Dies

By JIM FITZGERALD
Associated Press Writer

January 3, 2002, 3:37 AM EST

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. -- Former President Clinton's dog Buddy, the frisky retriever who unhappily shared the White House with Socks the cat, was killed by a car outside the Clinton home.

The 4-year-old chocolate Labrador ran from the home in Chappaqua on Wednesday afternoon, "playfully chasing a contractor who had just left the residence," said Lt. Charles Ferry of the New Castle police.

Buddy was hit by a car on a busy two-lane road at the bottom of the Clintons' cul-de-sac and was pronounced dead at an animal hospital.

Ferry said the death was "strictly an accident."

Clinton and his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, were not home at the time, said spokeswoman Julia Payne. They issued a statement saying Buddy "was a loyal companion and brought us much joy. He will truly be missed."

The Clintons were given Buddy as a puppy in 1997, just weeks before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke. The dog was named after the president's great-uncle, who had died earlier that year.

"If you want a friend in Washington, you need to get a dog," Clinton said, quoting President Truman.

Buddy became one of the most photographed pets in the nation, often seen playing on the White House lawn or bounding into a helicopter headed for Camp David.

He had a famously uneasy relationship with Socks, who was already ensconced in the White House when Buddy arrived. Although Mrs. Clinton expressed confidence for "a peaceful reconciliation during the holiday season" in 1997, their dislike was apparent.

Buddy, on a leash, once approached Socks on the White House lawn and began barking; Socks bristled and stood his ground. The president called it "making progress."

Buddy was neutered in 1998 in an operation that was comic fodder on late-night television. David Letterman wisecracked: "President Clinton's pretty busy. He had Buddy the White House dog neutered. ... So, Socks is neutered, Buddy is neutered, and so I'm thinking, two down, one to go."

The first lady put together a book called "Dear Socks, Dear Buddy" by gathering letters from children to the two pets. ("Did you ever get petted by the Spice Girls?" was one question.)

In the end, Buddy was the apparent victor in the rivalry for the Clintons' affections. When they decided they could take only one pet with them when they left the White House, Socks went to live with Clinton's secretary, Betty Currie, in suburban Virginia. Buddy accompanied the president on the farewell flight from Washington to New York, roaming the aisles of the jetliner.

In his first days in Chappaqua, Buddy served as an early-warning system to reporters that Clinton was coming out for a walk. Buddy would emerge from the home unaccompanied, a rubber ball in his mouth, which often meant the former president was behind him.

Once, when playing fetch with Clinton and a rubber ball, Buddy became entangled in the ex-president's legs and knocked him down in full view of the cameras.

"You guys got a good shot," Clinton said. "That's the first time he's knocked me down in all the time we've been together."

Copyright © 2002, The Associated Press

[Howlin]

Say, I thought we paid for a fence for that place! And if the Secret Service was there, HOW did they let that dog out? What if he was kidnapped??? :-)

[KC_Conspirator]

Another Clinton pawn dies after outliving his usefulness. Big surprise.

I always thought that Buddy was a total prop to distract reporters during the Lewinsky scandal. I don't think its coincidence that he appeared just as this story broke.

[1_American]

I thought it was a suicide

[gunnedah]

Thats the way it goes. The best one in the family dies. Maybe Bush will lower the flag.

[mdittmar]

Let's see if billy whips up some tears like he did for Ron Brown.

P.S. The dog deserved better than the clintons.

[TADSLOS]

Ref # 32: Hey, that's Hillary's line!

[Tennessee_Bob]

When you cross the Rainbow Bridge

What does a dog do at the Rainbow Bridge when there's no one for him to wait for??

[arly]

First it was Vince Foster now Buddy !.. it sure seems to be an unhealthy habit hanging around the Klintoons!

[Gordian Blade]

Beats the umpteenth Lord of the Rings post. And unlike that spam, this is news.

Actually, we can draw some quite interesting parallels between the death of Buddy and the death of Boromir in Fellowship of the Ring. Please stand by while I finish formatting my 10-page essay on the subject and post it.

[ambrose]

Buddy is dead?

Buddy, like Franco, is still dead.

[cricket]

"That's the first time he's knocked me down in all the time we've been together."

In Clintonreality, that WAS about ten minutes playing time. . .ie probably the first time they played together and probably the last as well. . .

Where DOES Hillary live most of the time; and Bill; surely not at Chappaqua and surely not much time ever spent with 'Buddy'.

Maybe I am wrong and Buddy wrote a book about his wonderful life with the Clinton's. . .

[hillary's_fat_a**]

Ron Brown, Vince Foster and now Buddy. Accidents happen...

[SAMWolf]

Dear Fellow Americans,

Bill and I are deeply saddened by the loss of our most dearly beloved Photo Op dog, Buddy in a tragic accident which can be directly attributed to a Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and to Bush's tax cuts.

Buddy's last wish, which we just happened to be discussing last night, was that in the case of his denise, that no flowers or cards be sent.

Buddy requested that very large cash donations, in unmarked small bills, be sent to either:

Hillary Rodham Clinton Campaign Fund or Clinton Memorial Library Fund.

Sincerely,
HRJ,WJC

[arly]

I wonder if CNN will broadcast Buddies funeral ?

[Diddle E. Squat]

You may be onto something. Now that Socks has gotten that pesky Buddy out of the way, perhaps Hillary, too, casts a cold calculating eye at Bill?

As to the post noting that Buddy was the only thing in that house possessing honor, perhaps Tom Lantos gave Buddy the Admiral Boorda speech?

[SJackson]

"If you want a friend in Washington, you need to get a dog," Clinton said, quoting President Truman.

What? He could have been quoting me.

A true Buddy Story

I don’t like Bubba, but I like dogs. When Buddy arrived at the White House (a few weeks or months pre-Monica exposure) I sent Bill a congratulatory E Mail, along with a copy of “30 Ways Dogs are Better Than Women”. A month later a package from the White House arrives addressed by hand in what looked to be a young woman’s handwriting (No I don’t think it was Monica, lots of interns there, wish I kept it though).

Who knows, had Bill taken my advice it might have changed history. I framed it and hung at dog eye level for my pups. They learned to “kiss buddy” on command, until they knocked it off the wall and broke the frame.

[Libloather]

This sounds like another scam. I think Buddy maybe trying out the witness protection program...

[R. Scott]

I wonder what kind of alibi Socks has?

[AmericaUnited]

This was a revenge "hit" by Kathleen Wiley's cats home boys.

[arly]

ROTFL !!