Obama Pardons ‘Liberty’ and ‘Peace’
EmailIt’s official. Turkeys “Liberty” and “Peace” are spared from the Thanksgiving table.
President Obama stepped out onto the North Portico today holding hands with daughters Sasha and Malia to pardon two birds designated National Thanksgiving Turkeys, a presidential ritual performed annually for the past 64 years.
Thanksgiving is “one of the best days of the year to be an American,” Obama said. “But it’s also one of the worst days to be a turkey.”
Wandering around and looking confused on the stage to Obama’s right was the gobbler “Liberty.” His alternate “Peace” was inside and not to be seen.
The president kidded his audience and the media that today’s ceremony was part of his campaign to take actions that don’t require congressional approval.
“Well, here’s another one,” he said, “we can’t wait to pardon these turkeys.”
His campaign slogan is “We Can’t Wait.”
Both of the 19-week-old, 45-pound turkeys hail from Willmar, Minn. The names for the birds were chosen from more than 100 submissions to the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association’s website that highlighted the National Thanksgiving Turkey, according to the White House.
Obama said local high school students helped prepare the birds for their trip to the nation’s capital, exposing them to loud noises, flashing blubs and teaching them how to “gobble without really saying anything,” jokingly alluding to the skill of avoiding straight answers to questions by the press corps.
But the president’s message wasn’t purely one of humor. He expressed thanks to all men and women serving in the U.S. military, and encouraged Americans to take time to reflect on their blessings and offer help to those in need.
It’s important to “be grateful for what we have, be mindful of those who have less,” Obama said.
He and the first family will participate in a service project in Washington, D.C., later today.
“Even when times are tough,” Obama said, “we look out for each other.”
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Liberty and Peace today. Tony Renzo and Jon Corzine next year.
Posted by: newcountryman | November 23, 2011, 11:41 am 11:41 am
The headline should read as follows: Failed Turkey Pardons Turkeys. Too true and good to pass up.
Posted by: Carol | November 23, 2011, 11:43 am 11:43 am
PETA will love the pardon but haunt the rest of us.
Posted by: Joe | November 23, 2011, 11:55 am 11:55 am
Can’t the political commentary rest for just ONE event, even if it can’t for one day? On a more pertinent note, I always wondered what actually happened to the “pardoned” turkeys. According to Wikipedia after being pardoned the birds are sent to a place where they are allowed to live out their natural lives, so the pardons are legitimate. Apparently some the location for the past couple years has been Mount Vernon, although Disneyland and Disney World have also accommodated the birds.
Posted by: MyTake | November 23, 2011, 11:55 am 11:55 am
What a sign of weakness from Obama! The GOP candidates would have these turkeys waterboarded and executed!
Posted by: america2929 | November 23, 2011, 11:58 am 11:58 am
Ithought he was going to pardon his pals Holder, for fast and Furious, and Chu for for taking all the heat on Solyndra, even though Obama did pay back Kaiser for his donations. I suppose somebody has to take the fall and it will not be the man responsible will it?
Posted by: specialty57 | November 23, 2011, 12:44 pm 12:44 pm
AMERICA2929, you bet! If they had information I needed to save Americans and did not talk then so be it.
Posted by: specialty57 | November 23, 2011, 12:48 pm 12:48 pm
Liberty and Peace? Where is Justice? The same place it has always been with this administration. Not to be found. On the chopping block.
Posted by: wheresmymoney | November 23, 2011, 12:51 pm 12:51 pm
he pardons turkeys? really? he can pardon himself and Biden?
Posted by: none | November 23, 2011, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
This may be the most successful thing he’s done during his whole presidency.
Posted by: Jack J. | November 23, 2011, 2:01 pm 2:01 pm
Gotta love the way the ridiculous right has already judged and condemned the President on Solyndra and Fast and Furious. “Guilty until proven innocent” is the new standard of the totalitarian right wing. Won’t their justice system be “American” with this new standard. Shameful and creepy.
Posted by: Dave | November 23, 2011, 2:22 pm 2:22 pm
Gotta love the way the lame libbys are pathetically playing along with and condoning Obama’s stonewalling and BSing on Solyndra and Fast and Furious. “Innocent until caught, and not caught if info withheld and unchallenged lies told…” is the usual standard of the dissembling and dishonest Left. Obviously shameful –and always creepy in the degree of hypocrisy and blatant dishonesty.
Posted by: Bruno | November 23, 2011, 3:09 pm 3:09 pm
What a sign of weakness from Obama! The GOP candidates would have these turkeys waterboarded and executed!
Posted by: america2929 | November 23, 2011, 11:58 am.
LOL! Now THAT is funny. And sadly, not too far off the mark for those blood thirsty clowns…………..
Posted by: Searambler | November 23, 2011, 4:00 pm 4:00 pm
No, SEARAMBLER, LOL!, it is not that hilarious at all, just silly as the childish left so often is. (But naturally you can pretend as you please, and so often do.) By the way, just curious…what do you do with the very few hours or minutes each day when you’re not posting on these blogs and stories on ABC? Seriously, I have never seen anyone post as much on one news site as you do on ABC. I mean like 24/7, and everywhere. It’s… uh, admirable — or very deeply pathetic, lol.
Posted by: Michael B | November 23, 2011, 4:25 pm 4:25 pm
Obama and two other brighter turkeys, how appropriate.
Posted by: Razorback | November 24, 2011, 2:47 am 2:47 am