[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 47 (Monday, November 22, 2004)]
[Pages 2832-2833]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation Ceremony

November 17, 2004

    Thank you all. Please be seated. Welcome. Welcome to a beautiful day 
here in the Rose Garden. I'm pleased to welcome Biscuits--[laughter]--
the National Thanksgiving Turkey. Biscuits, welcome. [Laughter]
    This is an election year, and Biscuits had to earn his spot at the 
White House. Over the past week, thousands of voters cast ballots on the 
White House web site. It was a close race. You might say it was neck and 
neck. [Laughter] When all the voters were in--all the votes were in, 
Biscuits and his runningmate, Gravy, prevailed over the ticket of 
Patience and Fortitude. [Laughter] The Vice President and I are here to 
congratulate Biscuits for a race well run.
    It came down to a few battleground States. [Laughter] It was a tough 
contest, and it turned out some 527 organizations got involved--
[laughter]--including Barnyard Animals for Truth. [Laughter] There was a 
scurrilous film that came out, ``Fahrenheit 375 Degrees at 10 Minutes 
Per Pound.'' [Laughter] Now it's a time for healing.
    This day took a lot of planning, and I want to thank all those who 
helped. I appreciate Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman. She has 
served our Nation with class and distinction. I'm going to miss having 
her in my Cabinet, and I wish her all the best.
    Congressman, I'm honored you are here. Thanks for coming. I know 
that you're deeply concerned about the fate of this year's Thanksgiving 
turkey. You're a man of deep compassion.
    I want to thank everyone here with the National Turkey Federation, 
especially John O'Carroll and Alice Johnson. Welcome.
    I want to thank Kevin Foltz and his family for the fine job they did 
in raising Biscuits and Gravy on their farm in Mathias, West Virginia. 
They fed the turkeys American corn and American soybeans. And from the 
looks of it, he had a pretty healthy appetite. [Laughter] I'm also 
grateful to Kevin's children, Kolby, Kollin, and Korey, who helped to 
coach the turkeys to face the cameras on their big day here.
    We've also got some special guests from the Immaculate Conception 
School. I'm glad you took this field trip to the White House. I'm 
grateful to your school and the parish for sharing some of your 
blessings during the holidays. This is the 40th year Immaculate 
Conception has provided food baskets to families in the Shaw 
neighborhood to make sure they have plenty to eat for their Thanksgiving 
dinner. For the sake of our feathered guests, I'm not going to elaborate 
on the contents of those baskets. [Laughter]
    The Thanksgiving tradition dates back to our Nation's earliest days. 
We are a nation founded by men and women who deeply felt their 
dependence on God and always gave Him thanks and praise. As we prepare 
for Thanksgiving in 2004, we have much to be thankful for, our families, 
our friends, our beautiful country, and the freedom granted to each one 
of us by the Almighty.
    During this holiday season, we think especially of our men and women 
of the Armed Forces, many of whom are spending Thanksgiving far from 
home. Last Thanksgiving, I had the privilege of meeting with our 
military serving in Baghdad area of Iraq. Those men and women, like all 
who wear our Nation's uniform, have volunteered to serve. Through their 
courage and skill and sacrifice, they are keeping our country safe and 
free. America is proud of our military. We're proud of our military 
families, and we give them our thanks every day of the year.
    The National Thanksgiving Turkey will soon be on stage for all to 
see, but he's not going to end up on the table. I'm granting him a 
Presidential pardon. Not only will I grant the pardon to Biscuits; I 
will also grant one to Gravy as well. I wish them well as they begin 
their new life at Frying Pan Park in the great State of Virginia.
    Laura and I and the Vice President wish every American a happy 
Thanksgiving. May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless our 
country.

Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to John O'Carroll, chairman, and 
Alice L. Johnson, president, National Turkey Federation.

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