    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [November 20, 2007]
    [Pages 1488-1490]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony
    November 20, 2007

        The President. Good morning. Welcome to the Rose Garden. Thanks for
    coming. We're glad you're here at the White House. Each of you is taking
    part in a tradition

    [[Page 1489]]

    that goes back to the days of Harry Truman. And to paraphrase Harry
    today, we have a message for our two feathered friends: You cannot take
    the heat, and you're definitely going to stay out of the kitchen.
    [Laughter]
        I want to thank the representatives of the National Turkey
    Federation who have joined us--the chairman, Ted Seger. Appreciate you coming, Ted, thanks. Ted brought his mom--
    glad you're here--7 brothers, and over 30 family members, I think it is.
    No wonder there are so many people in the Rose Garden. [Laughter] But
    we're glad you're here. Welcome.
        I also want to welcome President Joel Brandenberger. The turkeys in today's ceremony come from the
    Seger family farm in Dubois, Indiana. So I guess
    you can say they come with the chairman's seal of approval.
        I also thank everybody who voted online to choose the names for our
    guests of honor. And I'm pleased to announce the winning names. They are
    ``May'' and ``Flower.'' They're certainly better than the names the Vice
    President suggested, which was ``Lunch'' and
    ``Dinner.'' [Laughter]
        The national observation of Thanksgiving goes back to the days of
    our Founders. They asked Americans to give thanks for a nation that
    Benjamin Franklin famously compared to a rising sun. Over the years,
    Americans have found much to be thankful for. We still see our country
    the way Franklin did, or as the poet Carl Sandburg put it: ``In the
    crimson light of a rising sun fresh from the hand of God.''
        This Thanksgiving, we are grateful for a harvest big enough to feed
    us all and millions more. We're grateful for citizens who reach out to
    those who struggle and for neighbors in need--from neighbors in need to
    the strangers they've never met. We're grateful for working Americans
    who've given us the longest period of uninterrupted job creation on
    record and a prosperity that lifts our citizens. And we are grateful for
    one blessing in particular: the men and women of the United States
    military. They've worn proudly the uniform of our country. They have
    offered their lives in our defense. And each year, thousands more
    volunteer to join their noble ranks and to keep us safe. And so on this
    Thanksgiving, we keep our--we keep their families and their loved ones
    in our prayers and in our thoughts.

    [At this point, the turkeys gobbled.]

        The President. Thank you. [Laughter]
        America's children also have a special place in our thoughts during
    this season. Don't you agree? Today we're proud to be joined from--
    youngsters from the Camp Fire USA. We're glad you all are here. It's a
    nationwide organization that helps children become caring and confident
    future leaders. One of the things Laura and I
    have been most thankful for over the years is the chance to meet
    children from across the country and to hear from thousands of others.
    Some send photos; some offer prayers; some of them ask about Barney. A
    second grader from California once asked me, ``Do you ever get a
    headache?'' Not really, only when I have a press conference. [Laughter]
    Some children send letters with the same--with the simple phrase, ``God
    bless America.'' Others write about relatives serving in the war, and
    they hope I remember them.
        Earlier this year, a little girl in Oregon sent me a picture she had
    drawn. It's a large American flag, and it stood in the glow of bright
    orange sun. The spirit that inspired Franklin and Sandburg and other
    generations of America lives in the heart of this child. She sees
    America in the light of a rising sun. And so do I, and so do millions of
    our citizens. It's hard to be anything but grateful when you live in a
    country full of compassionate and decent citizens, a land our Fathers
    always knew was blessed by the Almighty God.
        And so now I have a task, and that is to grant a full Presidential
    pardon to May

    [[Page 1490]]

    and Flower. They'll be shortly flown to Disney World, where they will
    serve as honorary grand marshals for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. I hope
    that honor doesn't go to their head. [Laughter] May they live the rest
    of their lives in blissful gobbling. And may all Americans enjoy a
    holiday full of love and peace. God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:23 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Joel Brandenberger, president,
    National Turkey Federation. The related Thanksgiving Day proclamation of
    November 15 is listed in Appendix D at the end of this volume.