Here, Socks poses on the South Lawn, a favorite spot. American presidents and their families have always demonstrated a unique affinity for pets. From Thomas Jefferson's mockingbird, Dick, to Calvin Coolidge's amazing menagerie of cats, dogs, a pigmy hippo, a bear and an unfriendly bobcat, to the Clinton's feline friend, pets almost seem a prerequisite for living in the White House. And, of course, who could forget Checkers, the cocker spaniel who saved Richard Nixon's vice presidential candidacy and in the process had a speech named after him.
Pets clearly can enhance the presidential image.
Johnson's favorite canine, however, was Yuki, a mongrel found in a Texas gas station. Liberty, Gerald Ford's friendly golden retriever, produced a large litter of puppies during her White House term, one of which went on to become a guide dog for the blind. The ongoing saga of presidential pets not only makes for interesting political analysis, but adds another dimension to life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. 1996-1998 Fleabusters, Inc.