Obama Takes a Jab At Republicans During Presidential Turkey Pardon

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President Obama took a few jabs at Republican claims that he was abusing his executive authority during the presidential turkey pardon. Obama even joked that he knew that some people would call the turkey pardon amnesty.

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Obama joked that his pardon of turkeys Mac and Cheese will be his most talked about executive action of the month. The president said that he was acting within his executive authority and was doing something that both Republican and Democratic presidents before him have done.

The president later joked that some will call his turkey pardon amnesty, and said, “But don’t worry, there’s plenty of turkey to go around.”

We could say that besides pardoning Mac and Cheese, the president didn’t let a few turkeys on Capitol Hill, who are claiming that he is acting like an emperor and a dictator off the hook. The president had a little fun at the expense of his Republican critics, while enjoying what he admitted was a welcome bit of lighthearted presidential duties.
The history of the national Thanksgiving turkey dates back to 1947,

Since 1947, the National Turkey Federation has been presenting the president with a live turkey and two dressed ones to mark the traditional start of the holiday season. With the exception of President Kennedy in 1961, most of these birds, until 1989, were eaten. Ronald Reagan was the first to joke about a presidential pardon for the bird, but it was his successor that began the tradition. President George H.W. Bush said in 1989, ” This fine tom turkey has been granted a presidential pardon as of right now.”

The Lincoln story is a bit of interesting folklore. The story goes that President Lincoln’s son Tad became attached to a Christmas turkey in 1863. Instead of eating the turkey, it was kept as a pet, which Tad named Jack. There is no evidence to confirm the truth of this story, and even if it is true, Lincoln didn’t pardon the turkey, he decided to let his son keep it. However, like many of the stories about Lincoln it may be true, or it might not. It is another story about the humanity of one of our mythic presidents.

Mac and Cheese are now off to a Virginia farm to happily live out the rest of their days. It’s too bad that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner can’t be as easily put out to pasture.

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