November 24, 2010 | 
Writer 
Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoned by President Obama (Image by EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS)
Barack Obama pardoned two turkeys today in what has become a 63-year-old Thanksgiving-eve ritual.
The president pardoned “Apple”, the National Thanksgiving Turkey, and understudy, “Cider.” He was accompanied by his two daughters, who declined to pet the birds.
“Let me say…that it feels pretty good to stop at least one shellacking this November,” said Obama. “That’s some kind of wattle,” he said about Apple. “Can someone explain to me what this whole wattle thing is about?”
The turkeys are 21-weeks-old and were raised on the Foster Farms’ Wellsford Ranch, near Modesto, Calif. Both turkeys will be part of a special holiday display until Jan. 6 then will live out the rest of their lives at Mount Vernon.
The turkeys were selected by schoolchildren that participated in California’s Agriculture in the Classroom program.
As the president left the Rose Garden, he told the birds, βhave a good life, man.β
Posted in U.S. | 
Tags: Apple, Barack Obama, Foster Farms, Modesto California, president pardons turkey, Thanksgiving turkey pardoned, Turkey, turkey pardon, turkey pardoned, White House