President Obama Defies His Republican Critics By Pardoning Two Thanksgiving Turkeys

President Obama dealt a blow to the Republican War on Poultry by defying recent polling and pardoning two Thanksgiving turkeys at the White House.

Two days ago a PPP poll found that Republicans opposed President Obama’s pardoning of two turkeys by a margin of 27%-11%. Obama did not let the criticism from Republicans deter him from pardoning two forty pound turkeys named Honest and Abe. The turkeys will get to live out the rest of their days at a historic turkey farm in Virginia.

The ceremony itself was full of laughter and bad puns. If there is one thing that this president seems to love, it is a good, bad pun.

The President also took a moment to thank his daughters. Obama said, “I would like to publicly thank Malia and Sasha for once again standing here with me during the turkey pardon. They do this solely because it makes me feel good. Not because this is something that they think I should actually be doing. And, you know, as you get older you appreciate when your kids just indulge you like this. So, I’m very grateful.”

The turkey pardon was Obama’s 7th and the nation’s 68th.

Later, President Obama discussed his family’s plan serve a Thanksgiving meal to homeless veterans in DC. He said, “It’s a reminder, not only of the spirit of giving during this holiday season but our national obligation to make sure that all of those who serve and sacrifice for our country have a place to call home. My administration considers this one of our top priorities. Making sure that we’re bringing about the reality of zero homelessness for our veterans.”

President Obama has taken the silly tradition of pardoning turkeys and used it to remind us all about the plight of our homeless veterans and of the importance of helping others in need.

The Republican opposition to the President’s turkey pardon goes against the spirit of the season and demonstrates that the President’s political opposition is unable to put anything ahead of partisan politics.

Obama shows that family and public service matter more than politics. It is a lesson that some Republicans may never learn, but that shouldn’t stop the rest of us from enjoying the holiday.

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Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements. Awards and  Professional Memberships Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association

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