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November 20, 2007
Shouldn't the turkeys have been named Scooter and Libby?
While I am in the midst of one all-to-common Thanksgiving tradition (awaiting a delayed plane), President George W. Bush today discharged another honored holiday tradition: the annual pardoning of a turkey. This AP story provides the details:
The turkey at the White House really draws a crowd. When President Bush stepped into the Rose Garden on Tuesday, he found visitors in every coveted seat, reporters standing three rows deep and staff members craning for just one good glimpse. They came for one of those signature White House moments: Bush saving the life of a huge, white, gobbling bird.
Bush granted his yearly pardon to the national Thanksgiving turkey, named "May," and a backup turkey who went unseen, who goes by "Flower." The names were chosen in an online poll that drew more than 28,000 votes. It was close; people also liked "Wish and Bone," and "Wing and Prayer." "They're certainly better than the names the vice president suggested, which was 'lunch' and 'dinner,'" Bush said.
Apparently, as detailed here, the press corps also through of the names suggested by the title of my post. And I suspect the Vice President also thought about the similarities between the chief turkeys and his chief of staff.
Some related posts about presidential pardons:
November 20, 2007 at 02:55 PM | Permalink
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Comments
The turkeys were pardoned; Libby's sentence was commuted.
So perhaps "Marc Rich" would be a better "nom de gobble"?
Posted by: KipEsquire | Nov 20, 2007 3:08:34 PM
Kip: can we be sure a pardon for Libby is not in the offing? Plus, I think, like Libby, these turkeys will still be subject to supervised release.
Posted by: Doug B. | Nov 20, 2007 3:14:32 PM
I am thinking all future turkeys should be named "Martha Stewart," but the symbolism of pardoning the turkey is certainly a hoot. What crime has the turkey committed anyway? Does the turkey have to "accept" the pardon? If its life is spared, but it is not set "free," then the form of clemency is a commutation of sentence, is it not? And then there is the recent argument that a pig should be pardoned instead. Whew!
Posted by: P.S. Ruckman, Jr. | Nov 21, 2007 12:19:46 PM
