2006-11-29 01:57:58 · 13 answers · asked by TTGE 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Government
Tradition.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush Monday pardoned the national Thanksgiving turkey, marking the 56th anniversary of the annual event. Apart from some gobbling while the president spoke, the lucky turkey, Stars, was generally well behaved during the Rose Garden ceremony.
In a first, "thousands" of people voted on the White House Web site to name Stars as well as his alternate, Stripes. Both were spared by the president and will live out their days at Kidwell Farm's Frying Pan Park in Virginia.
The role of the alternate turkey is "not to be taken lightly," said Bush. "The rule book states that an alternate turkey is chosen in case the national Thanksgiving turkey cannot fulfill his role in this ceremony. It's kind of like being the vice president," he joked
According to the White House Web site, the names Stars and Stripes beat out Pumpkin and Cranberry 42 percent to 31 percent in what the president deemed "a neck-and-neck race."
Hope and Glory garnered 12 percent of the vote while Lewis and Clark took 9 percent. Plymouth and Mayflower and Harvest and Bounty got a weak 3 percent each.
2006-11-29 02:02:55 · answer #1 · answered by robertbdiver 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To draw attention from real issues like Bush and his gang bringing down the World Trade Center towers 1,2, and 7 on September 11, 2001 so they could start wars all over the place and waste everyones money and kill many people in turn making themselves a fortune. Thats why the idiot does stuff like that. Keep watching it too. They have you so brainwashed. Watch this video if you don't believe me. http://video.google.ca/videoplay?docid=-6708190071483512003&q=911
2006-11-29 02:18:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Cuz generally the prez is a turkey himself...and some need a pardon also =)
2006-11-29 02:00:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Just a White House tradition, been going on for many years.
2006-11-29 02:00:20 · answer #4 · answered by Rich B 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
because the vice president has the day off?
2006-11-29 02:01:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's practice; in advance of the pardons he'll hand out to his convicted political buddies at the end of his term in office.
At the rate they're going to prison these days, he'd better exercise his signing hand. It'll need to be strong to handle the volume of pardons................................................................
2006-11-29 08:40:05 · answer #6 · answered by Huero 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
President Truman did it first and it just 'caught' on as a bit of levity.
2006-11-29 01:59:49 · answer #7 · answered by words_smith_4u 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
because it goes back 2 the original tradition. one was speared and the rest were saved.
2006-11-29 02:00:57 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Doesn't appear to anything else important to do.
Simple formality.
2006-11-29 01:59:40 · answer #9 · answered by T S 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This year it probably represented all the rednecked, blinkered neocons who argued in favour of the Iraq fiasco.
2006-11-29 02:01:00 · answer #10 · answered by avian 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋