He's Rooting Out Government Waste Right Now

February 17, 2011 6:32 AM

Something going right in California? Yes! Gov. Brown has adopted a First Dog!

Sutter Brown is a Welsh Corgi. Gov. Brown and his wife adopted Sutter from Brown's sister who is moving to Chicago. Sutter's job duties include cleaning up food left around the office, barking at intruders and warming up those pesky Republicans. He tweets, too.

posted by Leezie (56 comments total)

Our long national nightmare is finally over.
posted by The Whelk at 6:33 AM on February 17, 2011 [7 favorites]

Cute dog!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:36 AM on February 17, 2011

Corgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!
posted by kmz at 6:41 AM on February 17, 2011

Corgi? Like the Queen of England?

Brown's in favor of returning California to colonial rule, and whatever California does, the rest of the nation inevitably copies, whether they want to or not.

I could draw you a blackboard linking the concept of Corgis, to the Queen, to England, to colonialism, but I won't.
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:42 AM on February 17, 2011 [5 favorites]

All Corgis are cute.
posted by Faint of Butt at 6:42 AM on February 17, 2011

I wouldn't mind a Corgiocracy. It would be very lively and full of races around the living room.
posted by The Whelk at 6:43 AM on February 17, 2011 [7 favorites]

Looks like Brown is photobombing one of those pictures.
posted by josher71 at 6:46 AM on February 17, 2011

If IBM can put Watson into a Corgi form-factor, humanity will be truly doomed. We would welcome our new robotic overlords with "Aww, such a cute overlord of all humanity! Why, yes, I will scratch your belly and also kill all fellow humans."
posted by kmz at 6:49 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I really hope this thread stays and becomes epically long. Who wouldn't want a 1000+ comment thread about a governor adopting a fucking dog?
posted by Think_Long at 6:51 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Benevolent leaders get labradors and beagles, evil overlords get cats. This guy is somewhere in the middle.
posted by londonmark at 6:51 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

"Why don't you put her in charge?"
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 6:51 AM on February 17, 2011 [3 favorites]

Does it know how to play tetherball? Or is he more into watersports?
posted by mhum at 6:56 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

I really hope this thread stays and becomes epically long. Who wouldn't want a 1000+ comment thread about a governor adopting a fucking dog?

I would love to see a 1000+ comment thread on a governor and his fucking dog, but my understanding is that this dog is just a pet.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:57 AM on February 17, 2011

WAAAH! I googled "Chris Christie pet" to see if our governor has any pets.

I got Zazzle stores selling "I Heart Chris Christie" pet t-shirts.

WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO AN ANIMAL!?
posted by mccarty.tim at 6:58 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Corgi? Like the Queen of England?

"Walkies!"
posted by Joe Beese at 7:00 AM on February 17, 2011 [3 favorites]

Brown's in favor of returning California to colonial rule...

Yeah, well, I was personally involved in an effort give part of California (the San Fernando Valley suburb of Los Angeles) to Britain almost 34 years ago and it didn't work. (further self-linky details)
posted by oneswellfoop at 7:07 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

"Something going right in California? Yes!"

Brown clobbered an inexperienced billionaire who thought she could buy her way into politics.

If that's not right, I don't know what is...
posted by markkraft at 7:10 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Welsh corgis? Who calls them that? Tautology; there are no other kinds of corgis.

They're well cute, but bitey. Favourite trick of the ones I've known is to creep under the dinner table, give a random ankle a quick nip, then bugger off sharpish into hiding. Bet they were laughing when they did it.
posted by scruss at 7:10 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

sorry. i'm having a hard time getting past this emphasis mine

Sutter had belonged to Gov. Brown's sister Kathleen, a Goldman Sachs executive and former state treasurer ... .

is it just me, or how many things are wrong with that sentence?

cute dog, though.
posted by msconduct at 7:13 AM on February 17, 2011

Welsh corgis? Who calls them that? Tautology; there are no other kinds of corgis.

True, but Welsh Corgi is still the proper full name. Though actually in this case it's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi (as opposed to a Cardigan Welsh Corgi). Pembrokes are probably the most well known kind. Ein was a Pembroke.

They're well cute, but bitey. Favourite trick of the ones I've known is to creep under the dinner table, give a random ankle a quick nip, then bugger off sharpish into hiding. Bet they were laughing when they did it.

Well, they are herding dogs. How are they supposed to know that they shouldn't herd humans like they herd sheep?
posted by kmz at 7:17 AM on February 17, 2011

"He finds all the extra food lying on the floor in the office," Gust Brown told the Sacramento Bee of Sutter's job duties. "He barks at anyone, he gives snuggles, he warms up the Republicans."

And after he's warmed them up, they kick him up and down the halls of the Capitol like a fluffy dodgeball.

markkraft: If that's not right, I don't know what is...

Yeah, the FPP's editorializing is a little stinky.
posted by blucevalo at 7:17 AM on February 17, 2011

Oh, and another sign of something going right in California... Six in ten Californians favor more taxes to help fund schools. Given that there will be huge cuts for school funding unless voters approve a tax extension, this is surprisingly good news.

Taxes: the revolutionary new way for government to provide funding for public services!
posted by markkraft at 7:19 AM on February 17, 2011 [4 favorites]

I realized a while back that the reason I love corgis so much is because they run exactly the way all Hanna-Barbera characters walk.

And now, like me, you can't ever un-notice that. You're welcome.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 7:20 AM on February 17, 2011 [6 favorites]

Well, they are herding dogs. How are they supposed to know that they shouldn't herd humans like they herd sheep?

You know the Queen's Corgis? Yeah it's the other way around. They just surround and herd her to various dinner functions in order to eat the scraps. Bit like ants and aphids.
posted by The Whelk at 7:27 AM on February 17, 2011

The dog is a Republican? Odd choice.
posted by Nanukthedog at 7:29 AM on February 17, 2011

Quaxelrod and Hambone would totally beat the fucking shit out of that dog.
posted by geoff. at 7:38 AM on February 17, 2011

That is one of the most OHAY GUY!-looking dogs I've seen.
posted by ignignokt at 7:44 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Brown clobbered an inexperienced billionaire who thought she could buy her way into politics.

Pity the dog wasn't on the ballot. Then there would have been three of them to choose from.
posted by three blind mice at 7:47 AM on February 17, 2011

Is this the thread for posting pictures of our corgis?

Again proving that Aliens quotes get most of my favorites.
posted by norm at 7:48 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Now the Suede-Denim Secret Police will have to go on Poop Patrol.
posted by Ufez Jones at 7:51 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Is this the thread for posting pictures of our corgis?

Oh, in that case...
baby Ein
baby Ein with golden retriever
"Hey, who's there?"
"Ooh, is somebody eating something?"
posted by kmz at 7:59 AM on February 17, 2011 [7 favorites]

Having lived with a Corgi, I can attest to their smarts, wit, and general happiness. I was told in England that the Queen's corgis are the only ones allowed to be just themselves in her presence, and if you spend any time with these dogs you realize that decorum and protocol are not a part of their vocabulary. Well-behaved, yes, but crazy all the same. Oh, they don't herd sheep, they herd cattle - by nipping their ankles and then dropping the three inches of ground clearance they have to avoid the back kicking hoof. Unlike many dogs who sycophantically grovel to please humans, corgis are just your buddy - a really great friend.
posted by njohnson23 at 8:03 AM on February 17, 2011

Is this the thread for posting pictures of our corgis?

YES PLEASE

My current landlord forbids pets and my girlfriend refuses to ever live with a dog, so I have to live vicariously through photos on the internet :-(
posted by cmonkey at 8:04 AM on February 17, 2011

At about the same time, the governor's press office announced via e-mail a statewide hiring freeze, which went unremarked on during Sutter's event.

This.
Yup, corgis are cute.
posted by likeso at 8:20 AM on February 17, 2011

OMG Corgi in a swing!

(I keep meaning to do a Corgi megapost one of these days but I'm scared people will think it's too cuteoverload-ish.
posted by kmz at 8:21 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Not as exciting as I hoped. I read "adopted" in the original post as "adopted from a shelter". : /
posted by Glinn at 8:23 AM on February 17, 2011

Corgis playing tetherball!
posted by workerant at 8:26 AM on February 17, 2011 [2 favorites]

Cannot think of governor Jerry Brown without the song California uber alles playing in my heart. No matter the context.
posted by hellojed at 8:32 AM on February 17, 2011

Cannot think of governor Jerry Brown without the song California uber alles playing in my heart. No matter the context.

Me too. Happily it's a song I like, and I'm ok with him being governor. Especially after the last few (though to be fair, at least Arnold was fairly pro-environment, for a repub).
posted by oneirodynia at 8:48 AM on February 17, 2011

it's a Pembroke Welsh Corgi (as opposed to a Cardigan Welsh Corgi)

OMG CORGIS IN CARDIGANS
posted by Greg Nog at 8:50 AM on February 17, 2011 [5 favorites]

ps hey every1 here's what a corgi would like if corgi was a whale, u r welcome
posted by Greg Nog at 8:51 AM on February 17, 2011 [7 favorites]

It's his sister's dog. I imagine that if he hadn't stepped up. we'd see headlines about heartless Brown family sending loving pet to pound.
posted by Ideefixe at 9:06 AM on February 17, 2011

Every time I take a "What kind of dog should you get" quiz they always answer Corgi. I'm still about a year away from owning a house and thus getting a corgi so everytime I see one I'm totally hooked so thanks for this.
posted by like_neon at 9:19 AM on February 17, 2011

Corgis are a cuuute small dog, sure... but no Japanese Spitz!
posted by markkraft at 9:32 AM on February 17, 2011

Dear god Spitzes look completely psychotic.
posted by The Whelk at 9:36 AM on February 17, 2011

http://www.captchart.com/post/2546187692/corgling-good-submitted-by-stammsternenstaub
posted by staggernation at 9:39 AM on February 17, 2011

Just last night my wife and I saw a Corgi/Australian Shepherd mix who was shaped exactly like a Corgi and colored exactly like an Australian Shepherd and had a long talk about Corgis' amazing ability to pass on Corgi-shape to their mixed puppies.
posted by Zed at 9:42 AM on February 17, 2011

If you want a friend in Sacramento, get a dog.
posted by dhartung at 9:53 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Does Bo know?
posted by safetyfork at 9:57 AM on February 17, 2011

Is this the thread for posting pictures of our corgis?

YES PLEASE

If you mix a corgi with a cairn terrier...
posted by mikepop at 10:42 AM on February 17, 2011

Ah, budget crisis in California means we could only afford a short legged dog. (Relax, corgi fans - I'm not Corgi-ist). I LOVE Zippy. But still, wake me up when there's a Beagle thread, ok?
posted by rmm at 11:03 AM on February 17, 2011 [1 favorite]

Damn Welshmen taking all our jobs...
posted by electroboy at 11:07 AM on February 17, 2011

I wish more public officials and other influential types would make a big deal about adopting their pets. Then maybe the general public would finally get it into their heads that adopting your cat or dog rather than buying it is the right thing to do and the normal thing to do. Call it trivial if you want, but Obama really disappointed me when he failed to adopt the family dog. He had such a great opportunity to set an example for the American public and he wasted it (as to allergies - they could have just as easily adopted a "hypoallergenic" breed from a rescue). The Prime Ministers of Britain and Canada both have fostered or adopted animals and they're ostensibly heartless Conservatives!
posted by Jess the Mess at 1:58 PM on February 17, 2011

Bo was given to the Obamas after he was returned to the breeder, so in a sense they took in an unwanted dog. That's kind of what purebreed rescues do.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:14 PM on February 17, 2011

I knew one of these type of Corgis, once. It shed. It shed like mad, all over everything. Clouds of fine hair, all over. Even in the air. Very thick coat that had to thin out in the spring. Ha!

I knew another Corgi, decades ago. Short-haired, like a beagle. Very fascinating lines, that dog. Shaped like a big dog, but medium. Head over-sized for the body, and amazingly intelligent.
posted by Goofyy at 7:27 AM on February 18, 2011

Bo was given to the Obamas after he was returned to the breeder, so in a sense they took in an unwanted dog. That's kind of what purebreed rescues do.

Except that it would have gone back to Ted Kennedy. Who had more than enough resources to care for it. Bo wasn't exactly a charity case.
posted by Jess the Mess at 9:28 AM on February 18, 2011