President Obama pardons National Thanksgiving turkey

That’s an excerpt from “The Definitive History of the Presidential Turkey Pardon”, published on the White House Blog about four years ago.

President Obama and the first family will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal at the White House on Thursday, featuring all of the holiday favorites plus a delectable assortment of pies.

When President Barack Obama pardoned two turkeys named “Honest” and “Abe” this Thanksgiving, most Americans understood the reference to Abraham Lincoln.

That opposition has put the defense policy bill at the center of the debate over whether Obama would move some detainees from the detention center in Cuba to USA facilities without congressional approval.

Obama also directed his national security team to continue to intensify ongoing efforts to degrade and destroy ISIS, which he said would continue to require coordination and cooperation among a wide range of global partners.

“We’ve seen from President Obama calling ISIS contained to Hillary Clinton saying this isn’t an American fight, the Democrat Party is simply not up to the task”, the RNC chairman said.

‘I thought it was pretty good, ‘ the president said back.

“As Americans travel this weekend to be with their loved ones, I want them to know that our counterterrorism, intelligence, homeland security and law enforcement professionals at every level are working overtime”, Obama said.

Livingston-based Foster Farms provided the turkeys for the second time; the poultry giant first took part in the ceremony five years ago.

“I know that Americans have been asking each other whether it’s safe here, whether it’s safe to fly or gather”, the president continued. “As you may have heard, for months, there has been a fierce competition between a bunch of turkeys trying to win their way into the White House”, he said, adding after a pause and some laughter: “Some of you caught that”.

The White House says Obama will pardon “Honest” and his alternate “Abe”.

Voting was held by the National Turkey Federation for America to weigh in on which turkey would be the official pardoned bird, and which would be the alternate. Keeping the prison open, Mr. Obama said, “is not consistent with our interests as a Nation and undermines our standing in the world”.