Checkers, the dog who helped save Richard Nixon’s career Checkers, the dog who helped save Richard Nixon’s career January 9, 2013 On the 100th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s birth, we look back at the long-forgotten four-legged friend who helped save the future president’s political career in 1952. Checkers and Vice President Nixon. Source: Nixon Foundation Indeed, without Checkers the dog, American history could be missing the famous Kennedy-Nixon debate, the 1968 presidential race, the trips to China and Russia, and Watergate. Of course, President Nixon was a resourceful, resilient politician who could have bounced back from being dropped from the 1952 presidential ticket by Dwight Eisenhower. However, there are few historical examples of candidates who fell from such a big stage and regained their footing in a national election. And his career-saving speech could have worked without mentioning his family’s dog, as it had many other elements that used television in an innovative way.

But when the Republican vice presidential nominee appeared before a national live TV and radio audience of 60 million people in September 23, 1952, everything was on the line for Nixon and his political future. And Checkers was a key player. Link: Full text of “Checkers” speech About 30 minutes later, Nixon had pulled off the first of several political comebacks in what became known as the “Checkers” speech. Nixon was facing allegations that he benefited from an $18,000 trust fund set up for a future U.S. Senate campaign. He denied the charges, but Eisenhower, under the advice of his campaign staff, was considering dropping Nixon from the campaign, based on public reaction to the speech. Nixon’s speech was carefully crafted to take advantage of the new medium of television and the sensitivity of Republican voters, including a full disclosure of his financial history and rhetoric right from Abraham Lincoln’s playbook. Nixon and his supporters called it the “fund” speech, and they knew their political careers rested on its success.

And then, Nixon tossed in an anecdote about Checkers, the family’s cocker spaniel, to prove he was just another “common man.” Years later, Nixon acknowledged that he added Checkers almost as an inside joke, since President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his famous “Fala” speech eight years to the day Nixon gave his speech. Roosevelt’s use of his own dog in a 1944 national address angered Republicans for years, because it helped turn a close race between Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey toward the Democrats. “I got a kind of malicious pleasure out of it. I’ll needle them on this one, I said to myself,” Nixon told an interviewer later in the 1950s. The Checkers anecdote clinched the deal. “A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog,” Nixon explained about a campaign gift from a supporter from Texas, which came in the form of a cocker spaniel. “Our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers.

And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.” The public support for Nixon among GOP voters was overwhelming, and Nixon stayed on the ticket and was elected vice president. Recent Constitution Daily Stories Five losing candidates who came closest to becoming a president Eisenhower’s wife, Mamie, was in tears after the speech and reportedly told her husband that any man who loves dogs has to be honest. Checkers, in his own way, became a celebrity. But Nixon disliked the term “Checkers speech because he thought it diminished his skills as a politician. In a later book, he complained that the press and his opponents called the event the “Checkers” speech and insinuated that Nixon needed his dog to save his candidacy. “As though,” he said in 1962, “the mention of my dog was the only thing that saved my career.” Nixon loved the speech on its own as the “fund” speech and asked his future speech writers to review it as mandatory reading. Checkers didn’t live to see Nixon become president in 1969.

He passed away in 1964 at the age of 13, and his grave is on Long Island at Bideawee Pet Memorial Park in Wantagh. Visitors leave flags and flowers at the gravesite as a tribute to the dog who helped Nixon, in an indirect way, become vice president. Checkers, the dog who helped save Richard Nixon’s career Checkers, the dog who helped save Richard Nixon’s career NCC Staff Pin it Share On the 100th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s birth, we look back at the long-forgotten four-legged friend who helped save the future president’s political career in 1952. Checkers and Vice President Nixon. Source: Nixon Foundation Indeed, without Checkers the dog, American history could be missing the famous Kennedy-Nixon debate, the 1968 presidential race, the trips to China and Russia, and Watergate. Of course, President Nixon was a resourceful, resilient politician who could have bounced back from being dropped from the 1952 presidential ticket by Dwight Eisenhower. However, there are few historical examples of candidates who fell from such a big stage and regained their footing in a national election.

And his career-saving speech could have worked without mentioning his family’s dog, as it had many other elements that used television in an innovative way. But when the Republican vice presidential nominee appeared before a national live TV and radio audience of 60 million people in September 23, 1952, everything was on the line for Nixon and his political future. And Checkers was a key player. Link: Full text of “Checkers” speech About 30 minutes later, Nixon had pulled off the first of several political comebacks in what became known as the “Checkers” speech. Nixon was facing allegations that he benefited from an $18,000 trust fund set up for a future U.S. Senate campaign. He denied the charges, but Eisenhower, under the advice of his campaign staff, was considering dropping Nixon from the campaign, based on public reaction to the speech. Nixon’s speech was carefully crafted to take advantage of the new medium of television and the sensitivity of Republican voters, including a full disclosure of his financial history and rhetoric right from Abraham Lincoln’s playbook. Nixon and his supporters called it the “fund” speech, and they knew their political careers rested on its success.

And then, Nixon tossed in an anecdote about Checkers, the family’s cocker spaniel, to prove he was just another “common man.” Years later, Nixon acknowledged that he added Checkers almost as an inside joke, since President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his famous “Fala” speech eight years to the day Nixon gave his speech. Roosevelt’s use of his own dog in a 1944 national address angered Republicans for years, because it helped turn a close race between Roosevelt and Thomas Dewey toward the Democrats. “I got a kind of malicious pleasure out of it. I’ll needle them on this one, I said to myself,” Nixon told an interviewer later in the 1950s. The Checkers anecdote clinched the deal. “A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog,” Nixon explained about a campaign gift from a supporter from Texas, which came in the form of a cocker spaniel. “Our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers.

And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.” The public support for Nixon among GOP voters was overwhelming, and Nixon stayed on the ticket and was elected vice president. Recent Constitution Daily Stories Five losing candidates who came closest to becoming a president Eisenhower’s wife, Mamie, was in tears after the speech and reportedly told her husband that any man who loves dogs has to be honest. Checkers, in his own way, became a celebrity. But Nixon disliked the term “Checkers speech because he thought it diminished his skills as a politician. In a later book, he complained that the press and his opponents called the event the “Checkers” speech and insinuated that Nixon needed his dog to save his candidacy. “As though,” he said in 1962, “the mention of my dog was the only thing that saved my career.” Nixon loved the speech on its own as the “fund” speech and asked his future speech writers to review it as mandatory reading. Checkers didn’t live to see Nixon become president in 1969.

He passed away in 1964 at the age of 13, and his grave is on Long Island at Bideawee Pet Memorial Park in Wantagh. Visitors leave flags and flowers at the gravesite as a tribute to the dog who helped Nixon, in an indirect way, become vice president. Reblog Nixon Might Never Have Been President If It Weren't For A Dog Named Checkers Nixon Might Never Have Been President If It Weren't For A Dog Named Checkers Pin it This post was created by a member of the Dodo Community. Forty years ago, on August 8, 1974, Richard Nixon announced that he was resigning from the presidency -- his political career was in shambles after his involvement in the Watergate scandal came to light. Watergate effectively ended his life in politics, but his career could have been over two decades earlier -- if it weren’t for a dog named Checkers. In 1952, when then-Senator Nixon from California was selected as Dwight Eisenhower’s vice-presidential pick, Nixon found himself steeped in another, near-disastrous scandal.

Nixon had been accused of accepting $18,000 dollars from backers, allegedly in exchange for political favors. As a result, some members of the Republican Party began to urge that Nixon to be dropped from the ticket . Nixon, meanwhile, contended that the money was not for his personal enrichment, but was instead part of a fund meant to cover political expenses, like travel between Washington D.C. and his home state. And he was right. There was nothing illegal about those contributions, but just the hint of controversy was enough to diminish his well-honed image as an incorruptible, “everyman” sort of politician. In an unprecedented move aimed at salvaging his rapidly derailing political career, Nixon purchased a 30-minute spot on national television and radio to win back the fading support of the American people. A record audience -- at the time -- an estimated 60 million people tuned in to listen and watch as Nixon argued his case, addressing each of the accusations that were leveled against him. The up-and-coming politician mounted a convincing defense, coming across as thoughtful and sincere as his wife, Pat, sat steadfastly by his side.

The true stroke of rhetorical genius in Nixon’s address, however, came not in proving that he was guiltless of a crime, but rather that he was a likable fellow. In what is widely regarded as the most memorable moment of the speech, Nixon admitted to having accepting one valuable present from a supporter that he had no intention of explaining away: One other thing I probably should tell you, because if we don't they'll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something—a gift—after the election. A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it. You know what it was? It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he'd sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl—Tricia, the 6-year-old—named it Checkers.

And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it. As corny as this simple sentiment might come across as now, for folks listening in, it carried an emotional punch. Eisenhower’s wife, Mamie, is even said to have shed a tear upon hearing Nixon mention his dog . The effect on the American viewing public was apparently no less profound. Nixon had done it. The tide of unfavorability had turned. He’d recovered his amiable, family-man persona with the help of his dog. After the speech, a relieved Eisenhower embraced his running mate, who had become America’s most high-profile dog lover, telling him “Dick, you’re my boy.” A few months later, in November, the pair would go on to win a sweeping victory in the presidential election, and set up Nixon for his own run at the office a few years later.

The man himself took umbrage to suggestions that Checkers was responsible for it all, remarking later that not all the credit should go to the black and white cocker spaniel "as though the mention of my dog was the only thing that saved my political career." But the speech, now commonly known “The Checkers Speech” is regarded by many as the most critical one made in Nixon’s career. List of U.S. presidents and their dogs - Dogtime List of U.S. presidents and their dogs ByDogTime Having a dog in the White House is nothing new, as 32 U.S. presidents undoubtedly found comfort in the loyalty, friendship, and unconditional love of “man’s best friend:” George Washington (no party): 1st U.S. President (1789-1797) Sweet Lips, Scentwell and Vulcan: American Staghounds Drunkard, Taster, Tipler, and Tipsy: Black and Tan Coonhounds John Adams (Federalist): 2nd U.S. President (1797-1801) Juno and Satan: Dogs Thomas Jefferson (Democrat-Republican): 3rd U.S.

President (1801-1809) Buzzy and unknown: Briards James Buchanan (D): 15th U.S. President (1857-1861) Lara: Newfoundland Ulysses S. Grant (R): 18th U.S. President (1869-1877) Faithful: Newfoundland Calvin Coolidge (R): 30th U.S. President (1923-1929) Rob Roy and Prudence Prim: White Collies John F. Kennedy (D): 35th U.S. President (1961-1963) Pushinka: Mutt (gift of Russian premier, puppy of Soviet space dog Strelka) Butterfly, White Tips, Blackie, and Streaker: Offspring of Pushinka and Charlie (his daughter Caroline’s Welsh Terrier ) Lyndon B. Johnson (D): 36th U.S.

President (1963-1969) Him and Her: Beagles (Him was the subject of controversy ; in 1964, President Johnson lifted the dog up by its ears, claiming “it’s good for [him].”) King Timahoe: Irish Setter Checkers: Cocker Spaniel (Checkers died while Nixon was vice-president, before becoming president, but had played a major role in his electoral career with the “ Checkers speech “) Gerald Ford (R): 38th U.S. President (1974-1977) Misty: Liberty’s puppy born in the White House Jimmy Carter (D): 39th U.S. President (1977-1981) Grits: Border Collie (given to his daughter Amy by her teacher, but quickly returned) George H. W. Bush (R): 41st U.S. President (1989-1993) Millie: Springer Spaniel (First Dog of the United States) Ranger: One of Millie’s puppies Bill Clinton (D): 42nd U.S.

President (1993-2001) Buddy: Bill’s chocolate Labrador Retriever (First Dog of the United States, b.1997-Jan 2, 2002) George W. Bush (R): 43rd U.S. President (2001-2009) Spot “Spotty” Fetcher (Mar 17, 1989 – Feb 21, 2004): Female English Springer Spaniel named after Scott Fletcher; puppy of Millie; euthanized after suffering a series of strokes. Barney: Scottish Terrier (First Dog of the United States, 2000 – Feb. 1, 2013) Miss Beazley (Oct 28, 2004 – May 17, 2014): Scottish Terrier ; Nicknamed “Beazley Weazley”; 2005 birthday gift from George to his wife. Barack Obama (D): 44th U.S.

President (2009-Incumbent) Bo: Portuguese Water Dog (First Dog of the United States) On This Day: Richard Nixon Delivers “Checkers Speech” On This Day: Richard Nixon Delivers “Checkers Speech” September 23, 2014 06:00 AM by findingDulcinea Staff On Sept. 23, 1952, vice presidential candidate Richard Nixon gave a speech defending the existence of a controversial campaign fund. His discussion of his family life, including a mention of the family dog named Checkers, drew sympathy from the public, helping him maintain his position on the presidential ticket. The Checkers Speech In July 1952, California Sen. Richard Nixon was selected at the Republican Convention as the running mate for presidential nominee Dwight Eisenhower. Two months later, however, Nixon’s place on the ballot was jeopardized by a Sept. 19 report in the New York Post, titled “Secret Rich Men’s Trust Fund Keeps Nixon in Style Far Beyond His Salary,” that alleged Nixon had received $18,235 in secret campaign donations from 76 people, primarily California businessmen.

Though the fund was legal, it was an embarrassment for Nixon and the Eisenhower campaign, which had railed against government corruption. Some Eisenhower staffers and Republican-leaning papers called for Nixon to be dropped from the ticket. Nixon initially called the report a “smear” put forth by “Communists and the crooks” in the government, but that explanation was not well received. Republican National Committee leaders suggested that Nixon explain the fund in a nationally televised address . After a late night telephone conversation with Eisenhower on Sept. 21, Nixon left the campaign trail in Portland, Ore., to fly to Los Angeles, where he would deliver the speech at the El Capitan Theatre. The RNC purchased a half-hour television block on NBC following a popular show hosted by Milton Berle. The Miller Center of Public Affairs provides the video and transcript of the speech . Nixon arrived at the studio with only an outline of the speech written. He decided to speak primarily from memory, says Lee Huebner, a George Washington University professor and former Nixon speechwriter, because using a script would “forfeit the ‘spark of spontaniety’ he valued so highly.” Nixon was aware that the speech might determine his political future. New York Gov.

Thomas Dewey, a Nixon supporter who had been influential in putting him on the ticket, had told him that only an overwhelmingly positive response to the speech could guarantee his place as Eisenhower’s running mate. On the day of the speech, Dewey phoned Nixon again to tell him that Eisenhower’s aides were asking that he close the speech by offering his resignation; Nixon refused to comply with this request. Sitting behind a desk, with his wife Pat seated on the side of the stage, Nixon spoke with “composure and assurance,” described The New York Times, as he stressed that he had only used the funds for political expenses and not for personal use. Sources in this Story Time: Richard Nixon: I Have Never Been a Quitter He used personal anecdotes to drive the message, speaking candidly about his humble upbringing and his personal finances. “I should say this, that Pat doesn't have a mink coat,” he declared. “But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat, and I always tell her she’d look good in anything.” He also mentioned that he had received a gift from a supporter in Texas: “You know what it was? It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from Texas.

Black and white spotted. And our little girl Tricia, the 6-year old, named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.” Nixon spent the second half of the speech criticizing President Truman and the Democratic nominee, Adlai Stevenson. He concluded by asking viewers to write the RNC giving their opinion on whether he should remain on the ticket. His final lines, praising Eisenhower, were cut off, as he had run over the 30 minutes. Edward Olshaker writes for the History News Network, “ He was deeply disappointed with his performance . ‘I couldn't do it. I wasn't any good,’ said Nixon, and he broke into sobs. He was especially upset that he was cut off before having a chance to give the address of the RNC. Studio technicians reassured him; some of the camera crew were weeping.” The 60 television million viewers were similarly moved by the speech . “His revelations came across as painful, anguishing for everyone watching,” says Brandeis University professor Thomas Doherty.

Letters to the RNC supported Nixon by a margin of 350 to 1. Most importantly for him, Eisenhower decided to keep him on the ticket, inviting him to a campaign rally in Wheeling W.V., where he told him, “Dick, you’re my boy.” Eisenhower and Nixon went on to easily defeat Stevenson in the general election. The “Checkers” speech is often credited with saving Nixon’s political career, which eventually led to him to the presidency in 1968. The speech also demonstrated the influence television could have in politics. Huebner calls the speech a “ turning point in the history of political communication ,” adding, “In one-half hour, television had become a central instrument of political leverage, and neither the traditional press nor traditional forms of power brokering would recover their previous influence.” David Lagesse writes in U.S. New & World Report, “The speech now seems quaint at best, humorous at worst. For one looking back, the 1952 Checkers speech may seem mawkish, syrupy, and the height of insincerity. But that perception risks missing the speech's power. That TV address … launched American politics on a path that still guides it today.

Nixon sensed the power of TV to shape a politician’s image and how image would shape politics.” Watergate Scandal Nixon rose from humble beginnings in Whittier, Calif., to graduate from Duke Law School and join the Navy. A tenacious, hard-working loner with a distaste for elites and intellectuals , he became a congressman in 1946 and senator in 1950. He led the investigation against alleged Soviet spy Alger Hiss and gained a reputation as a strong anti-communist, which helped him gain the nomination as Eisenhower’s vice president. He served two terms as vice president and ran for president in 1960, but lost a close and disputed election to John F. Kennedy. He returned to California and lost the 1962 gubernatorial election, after which he told reporters, “You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore.” His political career appeared to be over, but, in typical Nixon fashion, he would return to politics and win the 1968 presidential election. “He kept losing it, tumbling to great depths, then grimly climbing back,” wrote Time in his obituary.

After resigning from the presidency, he spent his later life traveling, writing and speaking about foreign policy. He died on April 22, 1994, after suffering a stroke. The Richard Nixon Library features biographies for Nixon and his wife, resources on the Vietnam War, an index of books written by Nixon, and a description of the library archives. The Nixon Presidential Library & Museum features a large collection of documents written and received by Nixon, as well as the Watergate Tapes. President Dogs: The 20 Most Recent Presidential Pooches (& Other Pets) Ask Us! 20 Most Recent Presidential Pooches (& Other Pets) They say dogs are man's best friend, but what about the most powerful man in the world? Believe it or not, United States Presidents have a long and storied history of owning dogs and keeping them by their side at the White House. And if you think your dog is an attention hound, wait 'till you meet these mutts! Beyond dogs, Presidents have also had a number of other, less conventional pets, including bears, lion cubs, and even hippos! Read on, and prepare to be amazed. 1) Spot (George W.

Bush) This lively pooch was an 11 year old English Springer Spaniel that sat by the President's side until her untimely death earlier this year. According to the White House, Spot is the daughter of another Presidential pup; Millie, the elder George Bush's dog. She was born in the White House in 1989, making her the only 2nd generation Presidential pet ever. 2) Buddy (Bill Clinton) A lively chocolate Labrador , Buddy took his post at the White House in 1997, the fifth year of the Clinton Administration. Buddy was one of the more photogenic White House dogs in recent memory, and photos featuring him with the family can be found in great abundance. He would provide many laughs and warm memories until his life ended in a tragic car accident on a wintery Janurary day in 2002. 3) Millie (George Bush Sr.) As mentioned in Spot's description, Millie is the first and only Presidential dog to give birth to another. As the trusted canine companion of President Bush Sr.

Millie had an eventful few years in the White House, including becoming the first dog to write a book , and giving birth to puppies that all went to good homes. 4) Lucky the Bouvier des Flandres (Ronald Reagan) You might imagine that it would take a pretty charismatic dog to keep Ronald Reagan entertained, and sure enough, Lucky the Bouvier des Flandres did not dissapoint! Lucky was known for chasing newsmen around the White House, playing hide and seek with the Reagans, and accompanying the President for strategy sessions and conferences in the Oval Office during his Presidency. It'd be tough to find a more comical and loveable Presidential dog than this one! 5) Grits (Jimmy Carter) While little is known about Grits, it is said that he was a gift to Jimmy Carter's daughter, Amy, by a teacher. The dog was eventually given back to the teacher, but Grits' stay in the White House was a memorable one indeed! 6) Liberty (Gerald Ford) Liberty was Gerald Ford's golden retreiver , an energetic pup who was fond of swimming at Camp David and accompanying the President during meetings.

He was also known to make unapproved, late-night excursions outside of the White House to "do his business" without the Secret Service knowing. 7) Checkers (Richard Nixon Checkers is the only dog to save his owner's political neck by becoming the subject of a speech. In his now-famous "Checkers speech ", Nixon deflected criticism that he was taking illegal campaign donations by proving that the only thing anyone gave him was a Cocker Spaniel , which his daughter named as "Checkers." 8) Him and Her (Lyndon Johnson) Some people like to keep it simple, which was clearly the case when it came time for Lyndon Johnson to name his two beagles . Named "Him and Her" for obvious reasons, the two beagles were often seen and photographed in public with Johnson, taking walks and using any opportunity to look cute in front of a camera. 9) Pushinka (John F. Kennedy) Pushinka ("Fluffy" in Russian) has the dubious distinction of being a gift from former Soviet Union premier Nikita Khrushchev.

Despite the unsavory source, however, all indications were that Pushinka was a good dog, and he gave birth to several puppies who hung around with the Kennedys for a number of years. 10) Heidi (Dwight Eisenhower) A tiny dog, Heidi was Dwight Eisenhower's trusty Weimaraner , shown here accompanying the President back to the White House after a March 11, 1959 press conference at the Executive Office Building, now named in Eisenhower's honor. The President and his dog were photographed together often during his time in office and similar ones can be found in books or documentaries. 11) Feller (Harry Truman) Truman's Cocker Spaniel , Feller, has a slightly different story than the other dogs. After being given to the family as an unsolicited Christmas gift in 1947, the family opted to give the pop to a White House physician rather than keep it. But before long, the press began to deride the physician for taking the dog, causing him to hand Feller off to a Naval Admiral. After several more hand-offs, Feller ultimately wound up living on a family farm outside Greenfield, Ohio, where he stayed happily until dying of old age.

12) Fala (Franklin Delano Roosevelt) Fala was much more loved and embraced than Feller. As FDR's pooch of choice, Fala had a bone brought to him each morning on the President's own, personal breakfast tray. He got a full meal each night (just like the rest of the family), and was known for begging for scraps from the White House staff as well. It was also said that Fala slept on a special chair positioned at the foot of Roosevelt's bed. 13) King Tut (Herbert Hoover) It might seem surprising that we've gotten this far in the list without mentioning a President who owned a bona-fide guard dog, but the buck stops here. Nicknamed "King Tut", this stately pup was Herbert Hoover's best friend and bodyguard, having been trained as an actual police dog before his stay at the White House. 14) Duke (Rutherford Hayes) A cute Spaniel, Duke accompanied President Rutherford Hayes alongside a number of other, less conventional pets, such as pedigreed cows, goats, canaries, and a number of Carriage horses.

15) Laddie Boy (Warren Harding) Shown here with Warren Harding's wife, Florence, Laddie Boy was the family Airedale from 1921-1923. Potential Airedale owners might want to be caerful however, as Harding is best known as one of the most corrupt Presidents ever to take office. There might have been a not-so-savory reason for picking the dog that he did! 16) Tige (Calvin Cooledge) The first non-dog Presidential pet on our list is Tiger (or "Tige"), Calvin Coolidge's alley cat. Tige was but one ode to Coolidge's eccentric personality; others included lion cubs, canaries, geese, mockingbirds, a bear, and even a pigmy hippopotamus! It appears that the Coolidge family just never knew how to say "no" when it came to taking new animals in! 17) Old Ike (Woodrow Wilson) Possibly the most odd pet to be featured in this list (the hippo obviously takes the cake overall) is Old Ike, the tobacco-chewing ram who prowled the White House grounds in search of new crops to chew on.

The fact that a President would let himself be seen with such a pet speaks volumes about the difference in political correctness levels in 1921 vs. where they are today. 18) Pauline Wayne (Howard Taft) Pauline Wayne has the distinction of being the last ever cow to live at the White House, as well as the last cow to provide milk directly to a U.S. President. What a difference 100 years makes! Apparently White House security staff was a lot more lax about what could go on there in 1909 than they are in 2008! 19) Algonquin (Theodore Roosevelt) Algonquin (named after the Indian tribe) belonged to Archie Roosevelt, Theodore's son. One of the more fond memories of Algonquin's time in the White House came when Archie was just a boy, and his brother Quentin took the pony into the White House elevator to make Archie laugh and feel better while he's sick. Suffice it to say that Presidential children would have a tough time pulling stunts like that today! 20) Old Whiskers (Benjamin Harrison) Old Whiskers was a pet goat who belonged to Benjamin Harrison's son, Russel.

He had a reputation for being extremely ornery, so much so that the President himself was once forced to chase him down Pennsylvania Avenue when the goat ran away with his grandkids being pulled on a sled from behind! The open-minded observer might wonder if Old Whiskers was a kindred spirit with Lucky the Bouvier des Flandres, due to their shared penchant for tom foolery. Grave of Checkers, Nixon's Dog, Wantagh, New York Wantagh, New York Died 1964 Checkers, the cute cocker spaniel that saved Richard Nixon's political career in 1952 -- and by extension caused Watergate and a profound period of national funk -- is buried along with 50,000 other dogs, cats, chimpanzees, etc. in Long Island's Bide-a-Wee Pet Cemetery. Checkers touched the hearts of a nation when then-VP candidate Nixon was accused of setting up a secret slush fund. Nixon appeared on television and said the only gift he'd received from his political cronies was Checkers. His children loved that dog, Nixon said, and he wasn't going to give it back -- even if it was a crime. America wept.

Nixon went on to become Vice President under Eisenhower, and you know the rest of it. Since Nixon never lived on Long Island, and only buried Checkers there in 1964 because it was convenient, some locals look upon the dog as an unwelcome outsider. Suffolk County Historical Society President Wallace Broege has been quoted as saying "I think it does Long Island a disservice." That doesn't stop the visitors from coming. And while patriots still plant small American flags next to the dog's granite tombstone (Plot #5), no one from the former first family has ever visited. Note: Rumors that Checkers was to be exhumed and reburied at the Richard Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, CA, are false. However, the Library does have a topiary Checkers. Roadside Presidents App for iPhone . Find this attraction and more: museums, birthplaces, graves of the Chief Execs, first ladies, pets, assassins and wannabes. Prez bios and oddball trivia. Available on the App Store .

Senator Richard Nixon's Checkers Speech LinkedIn0 In his 1952 Checkers speech, Richard Nixon was one of the first politicians to use the medium of television to defend himself against accusations of wrong-doing. This speech came during the 1952 presidential election campaign. Senator Nixon was Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice-presidential running mate. Accused of accepting illegal gifts, Nixon used his television appearance to deny the allegations and outline his personal financial circumstances. Nixon referred to a cocker spaniel dog his family had been given. Black and white spotted, they called it Checkers. “And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it.” The address thereafter became known as the Checkers speech. At the election six weeks later, the Republican Eisenhower-Nixon ticket defeated the Democratic ticket of Adlai Stevenson II and John Sparkman. Nixon became vice-president on January 20, 1953. Listen to Nixon’s speech (30m – transcript below) Watch Nixon’s speech in full (30m) Text of Senator Richard Nixon’s Checkers speech.

My Fellow Americans: I come before you tonight as a candidate for the Vice Presidency and as a man whose honesty and integrity have been questioned. The usual political thing to do when charges are made against you is to either ignore them or to deny them without giving details. I believe we’ve had enough of that in the United States, particularly with the present Administration in Washington, D.C. To me the office of the Vice Presidency of the United States is a great office and I feel that the people have got to have confidence in the integrity of the men who run for that office and who might obtain it. I have a theory, too, that the best and only answer to a smear or to an honest misunderstanding of the facts is to tell the truth. And that’s why I’m here tonight. I want to tell you my side of the case. I am sure that you have read the charge and you’ve heard that I, Senator Nixon, took $18,000 from a group of my supporters. Now, was that wrong? And let me say that it was wrong—I’m saying, incidentally, that it was wrong and not just illegal. Because it isn’t a question of whether it was legal or illegal, that isn’t enough.

The question is, was it morally wrong? I say that it was morally wrong if any of that $18,000 went to Senator Nixon for my personal use. I say that it was morally wrong if it was secretly given and secretly handled. And I say that it was morally wrong if any of the contributors got special favors for the contributions that they made. And now to answer those questions let me say this: Not one cent of the $18,000 or any other money of that type ever went to me for my personal use. Every penny of it was used to pay for political expenses that I did not think should be charged to the taxpayers of the United States. It was not a secret fund. As a matter of fact, when I was on “Meet the Press,” some of you may have seen it last Sunday—Peter Edson came up to me after the program and he said, “Dick, what about this fund we hear about?” And I said, “Well, there’s no secret about it.

Go out and see Dana Smith, who was the administrator of the fund.” And I gave him his address, and I said that you will find that the purpose of the fund simply was to defray political expenses that I did not feel should be charged to the Government. And third, let me point out, and I want to make this particularly clear, that no contributor to this fund, no contributor to any of my campaign, has ever received any consideration that he would not have received as an ordinary constituent. I just don’t believe in that and I can say that never, while I have been in the Senate of the United States, as far as the people that contributed to this fund are concerned, have I made a telephone call for them to an agency, or have I gone down to an agency in their behalf. And the records will show that, the records which are in the hands of the Administration. But then some of you will say and rightly, “Well, what did you use the fund for, Senator? Why did you have to have it?” Let me tell you in just a word how a Senate office operates. First of all, a Senator gets $15,000 a year in salary.

He gets enough money to pay for one trip a year, a round trip that is, for himself and his family between his home and Washington, D.C. And then he gets an allowance to handle the people that work in his office, to handle his mail. And the allowance for my State of California is enough to hire thirteen people. And let me say, incidentally, that that allowance is not paid to the Senator—it’s paid directly to the individuals that the Senator puts on his payroll, but all of these people and all of these allowances are for strictly official business. Business, for example, when a constituent writes in and wants you to go down to the Veterans Administration and get some information about his GI policy. Items of that type for example. But there are other expenses which are not covered by the Government. And I think I can best discuss those expenses by asking you some questions. Do you think that when I or any other Senator makes a political speech, has it printed, should charge the printing of that speech and the mailing of that speech to the taxpayers? Do you think, for example, when I or any other Senator makes a trip to his home state to make a purely political speech that the cost of that trip should be charged to the taxpayers?

Do you think when a Senator makes political broadcasts or political television broadcasts, radio or television, that the expense of those broadcasts should be charged to the taxpayers? Well, I know what your answer is. It is the same answer that audiences give me whenever I discuss this particular problem. The answer is, “no.” The taxpayers shouldn’t be required to finance items which are not official business but which are primarily political business. But then the question arises, you say, “Well, how do you pay for l these and how can you do it legally?” And there are several ways that it can be done, incidentally, and that it is done legally in the United States Senate and in the Congress. The first way is to be a rich man. I don’t happen to be a rich man so I couldn’t use that one. Another way that is used is to put your wife on the payroll. Let me say, incidentally, my opponent, my opposite number for the Vice Presidency on the Democratic ticket, does have his wife on the payroll. And has had her on his payroll for the ten years—the past ten years. Now just let me say this. That’s his business and I’m not critical of him for doing that.

You will have to pass judgment on that particular point. But I have never done that for this reason. I have found that there are so many deserving stenographers and secretaries in Washington that needed the work that I just didn’t feel it was right to put my wife on the payroll. My wife’s sitting over here. She’s a wonderful stenographer. She used to teach stenography and she used to teach shorthand in high school. That was when I met her. And I can tell you folks that she’s worked many hours at night and many hours on Saturdays and Sundays in my office and she’s done a fine job. And I’m proud to say tonight that in the six years I’ve been in the House and the Senate of the United States, Pat Nixon has never been on the Government payroll. There are other ways that these finances can be taken care of. Some who are lawyers, and I happen to be a lawyer, continue to practice law. But I haven’t been able to do that. I’m so far away from California that I’ve been so busy with my Senatorial work that I have not engaged in any legal practice.

And also as far as law practice is concerned, it seemed to me that the relationship between an attorney and the client was 80 personal that you couldn’t possibly represent a man as an attorney and then have an unbiased view when he presented his case to you in the event that he had one before the Government. And so I felt that the best way to handle these necessary political expenses of getting my message to the American people and the speeches I made, the speeches that I had printed, for the most part, concerned this one message—of exposing this Administration, the communism in it, the corruption in it—the only way that I could do that was to accept the aid which people in my home state of California who contributed to my campaign and who continued to make these contributions after I was elected were glad to make. And let me say I am proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me for a special favor. I’m proud of the fact that not one of them has ever asked me to vote on a bill other than as my own conscience would dictate. And I am proud of the fact that the taxpayers by subterfuge or otherwise have never paid one dime for expenses which I thought were political and shouldn’t be charged to the taxpayers.

Let me say, incidentally, that some of you may say, “Well, that’s all right, Senator; that’s your explanation, but have you got any proof7” And I’d like to tell you this evening that just about an hour ago we received an independent audit of this entire fund. I suggested to Gov. Sherman Adams, who is the chief of staff of the Dwight Eisenhower campaign, that an independent audit and legal report be obtained. And I have that audit here in my hand. It’s an audit made by the Price, Waterhouse & Co. firm, and the legal opinion by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, lawyers in Los Angeles, the biggest law firm and incidentally one of the best ones in Los Angeles. I’m proud to be able to report to you tonight that this audit and this legal opinion is being forwarded to General Eisenhower. And I’d like to read to you the opinion that was prepared by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher and based on all the pertinent laws and statutes, together with the audit report prepared by the certified public accountants.

“It is our conclusion that Senator Nixon did not obtain any financial gain from the collection and disbursement of the fund by Dana Smith; that Senator Nixon did not violate any Federal or state law by reason of the operation of the fund, and that neither the portion of the fund paid by Dana Smith directly to third persons nor the portion paid to Senator Nixon to reimburse him for designated office expenses constituted income to the Senator which was either reportable or taxable as income under applicable tax laws. (signed) Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher by Alma H. Conway.” Now that, my friends, is not Nixon speaking, but that’s an independent audit which was requested because I want the American people to know all the facts and I’m not afraid of having independent people go in and check the facts, and that is exactly what they did. But then I realize that there are still some who may say, and rightly so, and let me say that I recognize that some will continue to smear regardless of what the truth may be, but that there has been understandably some honest misunderstanding on this matter, and there’s some that will say: “Well, maybe you were able, Senator, to fake this thing. How can we believe what you say?

After all, is there a possibility that maybe you got some sums in cash? Is there a possibility that you may have feathered your own nest?” And so now what I am going to do-and incidentally this is unprecedented in the history of American politics-I am going at this time to give this television and radio audience a complete financial history; everything I’ve earned; everything I’ve spent; everything I owe. And I want you to know the facts. I’ll have to start early. I was born in 1913. Our family was one of modest circumstances and most of my early life was spent in a store out in East Whittier. It was a grocery store — one of those family enterprises. he only reason we were able to make it go was because my mother and dad had five boys and we all worked in the store. I worked my way through college and to a great extent through law school. And then, in 1940, probably the best thing that ever happened to me happened, I married Pat—who is sitting over here. We had a rather difficult time after we were married, like so many of the young couples who may be listening to us. I practiced law; she continued to teach school.

Then in 1942 I went into the service. Let me say that my service record was not a particularly unusual one. I went to the South Pacific. I guess I’m entitled to a couple of battle stars. I got a couple of letters of commendation but I was just there when the bombs were falling and then I returned. I returned to the United States and in 1946 I ran for the Congress. When we came out of the war, Pat and I—Pat during the war ad worked as a stenographer and in a bank and as an economist for Government agency—and when we came out the total of our saving from both my law practice, her teaching and all the time that I as in the war—the total for that entire period was just a little less than $10,000. Every cent of that, incidentally, was in Government bonds. Well, that’s where we start when I go into politics. Now what I’ve I earned since I went into politics? Well, here it is—I jotted it down, let me read the notes. First of all I’ve had my salary as a Congressman and as a Senator.

Second, I have received a total in this past six years of $1600 from estates which were in my law firm the time that I severed my connection with it. And, incidentally, as I said before, I have not engaged in any legal practice and have not accepted any fees from business that came to the firm after I went into politics. I have made an average of approximately $1500 a year from nonpolitical speaking engagements and lectures. And then, fortunately, we’ve inherited a little money. Pat sold her interest in her father’s estate for $3,000 and I inherited $l500 from my grandfather. We live rather modestly. For four years we lived in an apartment in Park Fairfax, in Alexandria, Va. The rent was $80 a month. And we saved for the time that we could buy a house. Now, that was what we took in. What did we do with this money? What do we have today to show for it? This will surprise you, Because it is so little, I suppose, as standards generally go, of people in public life.

First of all, we’ve got a house in Washington which cost $41,000 and on which we owe $20,000. We have a house in Whittier, California, which cost $13,000 and on which we owe $3000. * My folks are living there at the present time. I have just $4,000 in life insurance, plus my G.I. policy which I’ve never been able to convert and which will run out in two years. I have no insurance whatever on Pat. I have no life insurance on our our youngsters, Patricia and Julie. I own a 1950 Oldsmobile car. We have our furniture. We have no stocks and bonds of any type. We have no interest of any kind, direct or indirect, in any business. Now, that’s what we have. What do we owe? Well, in addition to the mortgage, the $20,000 mortgage on the house in Washington, the $10,000 one on the house in Whittier, I owe $4,500 to the Riggs Bank in Washington, D.C.

with interest 4 1/2 per cent. I owe $3,500 to my parents and the interest on that loan which I pay regularly, because it’s the part of the savings they made through the years they were working so hard, I pay regularly 4 per cent interest. And then I have a $500 loan which I have on my life insurance. Well, that’s about it. That’s what we have and that’s what we owe. It isn’t very much but Pat and I have the satisfaction that every dime that we’ve got is honestly ours. I should say this—that Pat doesn’t have a mink coat. But she does have a respectable Republican cloth coat. And I always tell her that she’d look good in anything. One other thing I probably should tell you because if we don’t they’ll probably be saying this about me too, we did get something-a gift-after the election. A man down in Texas heard Pat on the radio mention the fact that our two youngsters would like to have a dog. And, believe it or not, the day before we left on this campaign trip we got a message from Union Station in Baltimore saying they had a package for us. We went down to get it.

You know what it was. It was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he’d sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl-Tricia, the 6-year old-named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we’re gonna keep it. It isn’t easy to come before a nation-wide audience and air your life as I’ve done. But I want to say some things before I conclude that I think most of you will agree on. Mr. Mitchell, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, made the statement that if a man couldn’t afford to be in the United States Senate he shouldn’t run for the Senate. And I just want to make my position clear. I don’t agree with Mr. Mitchell when he says that only a rich man should serve his Government in the United States Senate or in the Congress. I don’t believe that represents the thinking of the Democratic Party, and I know that it doesn’t represent the thinking of the Republican Party.

I believe that it’s fine that a man like Governor Stevenson who inherited a fortune from his father can run for President. But I also feel that it’s essential in this country of ours that a man of modest means can also run for President. Because, you know, remember Abraham Lincoln, you remember what he said: “God must have loved the common people—he made so many of them.” And now I’m going to suggest some courses of conduct. First of all, you have read in the papers about other funds now. Mr. Stevenson, apparently, had a couple. One of them in which a group of business people paid and helped to supplement the salaries of state employees. Here is where the money went directly into their pockets. And I think that what Mr. Stevenson should do is come before the American people as I have, give the names of the people that have contributed to that fund; give the names of the people who put this money into their pockets at the same time that they were receiving money from their state government, and see what favors, if any, they ave out for that. I don’t condemn Mr. Stevenson for what he did. But until the facts are in there is a doubt that will be raised.

And as far as Mr. Sparkman is concerned, I would suggest the same thing. He’s had his wife on the payroll. I don’t condemn him for that. But I think that he should come before the American people and indicate what outside sources of income he has had. I would suggest that under the circumstances both Mr. parkman and Mr. Stevenson should come before the American people as I have and make a complete financial statement as to their financial history. And if they don’t, it will be an admission that they have something to hide. And I think that you will agree with me. Because, folks, remember, a man that’s to be President of the United States, a man that’s to be Vice President of the United States must have the confidence of all the people. And that’s why I’m doing what I’m doing, and that’s why I suggest that Mr. Stevenson and Mr. Sparkman since they are under attack should do what I am doing. Now, let me say this: I know that this is not the last of the smears. In spite of my explanation tonight other smears will be made; others have been made in the past.

And the purpose of the mears, I know, is this—to silence me, to make me let up. Well, they just don’t know who they’re dealing with. I’m going l tell you this: I remember in the dark days of the Hiss case some of the same columnists, some of the same radio commentators who are attacking me now and misrepresenting my position were violently opposing me at the time I was after Alger Hiss. But I continued the fight because I knew I was right. And I an say to this great television and radio audience that I have no pologies to the American people for my part in putting Alger Hiss vhere he is today. And as far as this is concerned, I intend to continue the fight. Why do I feel so deeply? Why do I feel that in spite of the mears, the misunderstandings, the necessity for a man to come up here and bare his soul as I have? Why is it necessary for me to continue this fight? And I want to tell you why. Because, you see, I love my country. And I think my country is in danger.

And I think that the only man that can save America at this time is the man that’s runing for President on my ticket — Dwight Eisenhower. You say, “Why do I think it’s in danger?” and I say look at the record. Seven years of the Truman-Acheson Administration and that’s happened? Six hundred million people lost to the Communists, and a war in Korea in which we have lost 117,000 American casualties. And I say to all of you that a policy that results in a loss of six hundred million people to the Communists and a war which costs us 117,000 American casualties isn’t good enough for America. And I say that those in the State Department that made the mistakes which caused that war and which resulted in those losses should be kicked out of the State Department just as fast as we can get ’em out of there. And let me say that I know Mr. Stevenson won’t do that. Because he defends the Truman policy and I know that Dwight Eisenhower will do that, and that he will give America the leadership that it needs. Take the problem of corruption. You’ve read about the mess in Washington. Mr.

Stevenson can’t clean it up because he was picked by the man, Truman, under whose Administration the mess was made. You wouldn’t trust a man who made the mess to clean it up— that’s Truman. And by the same token you can’t trust the man who was picked by the man that made the mess to clean it up—and that’s Stevenson. And so I say, Eisenhower, who owes nothing to Truman, nothing to the big city bosses, he is the man that can clean up the mess in Washington. Take Communism. I say that as far as that subject is concerned, the danger is great to America. In the Hiss case they got the secrets which enabled them to break the American secret State Department code. They got secrets in the atomic bomb case which enabled them to get the secret of the atomic bomb, five years before they would have gotten it by their own devices. And I say that any man who called the Alger Hiss case a “red herring” isn’t fit to be President of the United States. I say that a man who like Mr.

Stevenson has pooh-poohed and ridiculed the Communist threat in the United States—he said that they are phantoms among ourselves; he’s accused us that have attempted to expose the Communists of looking for Communists in the Bureau of Fisheries and Wildlife—I say that a man who says that isn’t qualified to be President of the United States. And I say that the only man who can lead us in this fight to rid the Government of both those who are Communists and those who have corrupted this Government is Eisenhower, because Eisenhower, you can be sure, recognizes the problem and he knows how to deal with it. Now let me say that, finally, this evening I want to read to you just briefly excerpts from a letter which I received, a letter which, after all this is over, no one can take away from us. It reads as follows: Dear Senator Nixon: Since I’m only 19 years of age I can’t vote in this Presidential election but believe me if I could you and General Eisenhower would certainly get my vote. My husband is in the Fleet Marines in Korea. He’s a corpsman on the front lines and we have a two-month-old son he’s never seen.

And I feel confident that with great Americans like you and General Eisenhower in the White House, lonely Americans like myself will be united with their loved ones now in Korea. I only pray to God that you won’t be too late. Enclosed is a small check to help you in your campaign. Living on $85 a month it is all I can afford at present. But let me know what else I can do. Folks, it’s a check for $10, and it’s one that I will never cash. And just let me say this. We hear a lot about prosperity these days but I say, why can’t we have prosperity built on peace rather than prosperity built on war? Why can’t we have prosperity and an honest government in Washington, D.C., at the same time. Believe me, we can. And Eisenhower is the man that can lead this crusade to bring us that kind of prosperity. And, now, finally, I know that you wonder whether or not I am going to stay on the Republican ticket or resign. Let me say this: I don’t believe that I ought to quit because I’m not a quitter. And, incidentally, Pat’s not a quitter.

After all, her name was Patricia Ryan and she was born on St. Patrick’s Day, and you know the Irish never quit. But the decision, my friends, is not mine. I would do nothing that would harm the possibilities of Dwight Eisenhower to become President of the United States. And for that reason I am submitting to the Republican National Committee tonight through this television broadcast the decision which it is theirs to make. Let them decide whether my position on the ticket will help or hurt. And I am going to ask you to help them decide. Wire and write the Republican National Committee whether you think I should stay on or whether I should get off. And whatever their decision is, I will abide by it. But just let me say this last word. Regardless of what happens I’m going to continue this fight. I’m going to campaign up and down America until we drive the crooks and the Communists and those that defend them out of Washington. And remember, folks, Eisenhower is a great man. Believe me. He’s a great man. And a vote for Eisenhower is a vote for what’s good for America. * Nixon meant to say $10,000.

Nixon's dogs | The White House Home • Nixon's dogs Nixon's dogs President Richard Nixon's dogs pose for a picture during the holidays. This canine trio included a French poodle named Vicky, a Yorkshire terrier named Pasha and an Irish setter named King Timahoe. Nixon was president from 1969 to 1974.

Question: Which US vice president had a family dog named Checkers?
Answer: Richard Nixon