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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Domenico Montanaro breaks down the history of presidents pardoning turkeys at The White House and looks at the future of the Ames Straw Poll and some comments Sen. Marco Rubio made to GQ Magazine.
It's a quiet day on the politics front so far before Thanksgiving tomorrow.
President Obama will be back at the White House today after his trip to Asia. And his first act will be to pardon one of two turkeys. It's become a presidential tradition, but there's been some confusion about its history.
Bill Clinton started the confusion 15 years ago when he declared that Harry Truman was the first president to pardon a turkey. But that's not true. In fact, he was presented a turkey, but most believe he ate it.
The first to actually pardon a Thanksgiving turkey was John F. Kennedy in 1963. The first to formalize turkey pardoning as a tradition at the White House was George H.W. Bush in 1989.
Abraham Lincoln was the first to pardon a turkey. BUT it was a Christmas turkey. It was destined for the Christmas dinner table, but the tale goes that his son took a liking to the bird and Lincoln gave it a reprieve.
And an important note about these pardoned birds. They're bred to be eaten, and they only live an average of two years after the leave the White House.
In other news, unbelievably there are some 2016 rumblings. In Iowa, there's an intra-G-O-P fight. The governor said he thinks the Ames straw poll has run its course. But that annoyed the Iowa GOP chairman, who said the governor is wrong and that it's a party and candidate decision. This is a big fundraiser for the party, which is why the party wants to keep it. Gov. Terry Branstad is worried about keeping Iowa's caucuses relevant.
Jeb Bush Jr. said yesterday he doesn't know if his father will run for president in 20-16, but he hopes he does. And Jeb Bush swatted back at Florida Senator Marco Rubio for his answer about the age of the Earth. Rubio said there was a "dispute" with "theologians" about the age of the Earth. Bush wasn't buying it, calling it a "head-scratching type of answer." And that the GOP has "got to be kind of a pro-science and pro-technology party."
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Who cares!!!
All this turkey talk, I'm starving!
Let's EAT! lol
PS: So you're a "briner"... eh... Domenico?
Enjoy your Thanksgiving with the family & newest addtion Kate!
Turkey, football, and family ... PERFECT!
Remember Yanks, it is an act of extreme patriotism to chow down tomorrow. Have a happy bird-day.
“Here in Britain, of course, it's Thank @!$%# We Got Those Weird Jesus Bastards On The Boat Day”
― Warren Ellis
Pardon an elephant...lending a hand to the wounded elephant...so we still have a healthy two-party system.
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Happy Thanksgiving ... to both the winning Donkey and the losing Elephant.
Feisty! Time for the party to BEGIN!
Don't get offended, folks. Remember that for the Brits, it's just another Thursday of having to eat what passes for haute cuisine...bangers and mash (again)...with a couple of pints of Watney's Red Barrel (warm) to kill the taste buds before consuming.
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!
I don't agree with Iowa's Governor Branstad often but he's right about the Ames GOP Straw Poll. If the GOP keeps it, they need to change the rules because right now, the candidate who provides the most goodies, rents the most buses to transport the supporters, buys the most tickets to give to anyone they can bribe to vote for them wins---ala Michele Bachmann who proclaims to know "chitspa" when she sees it even if she doesn't know how to pronounce it.
BCWC, good thing I didn't have a cup of coffee in hand. Too funny!! Is there anyway we could put them on a boat and return them?
Da Noid
And we finish off our lovely meal with a nice slab of Spotted Dick.
This has been a surreal time in politics - no sooner was the President re-elected, to the complete shock, apparently, of Republicans, then the bizarre Petraus/Broadwell/Kelly/Allen drama unfolded, concurrent with an attempt to make a scandal out of a few talking points Susan Rice offered on shows nobody watches.
Now Gaza City is in flames, and Hillary Clinton takes center stage in trying to negotiate a ceasefire. Finally, substance edges out manufactured drama in the news.
I pray she is successful. This Thanksgiving, I am grateful there are people in power who actually work for peace.
Don't forget the victims of Sandy...we need to be more active...helping out in more relief effort..so that those who lost most things in life can still have a reason to be thankful...
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sometimes I am ashamed because whenever a disaster like this happens, people still suffer so much...in this most powerful and wealthiest nation on earth.
NDD,
Everything is running on schedule & I'm ready to go! ☺
Hey, Jody, Iowa
I disagree..respectfully disagree... the Ames Straw Poll is like a strawman...but an integral prop in a comedy show - a straw man in a slapstick? Politics, after all, is showbiz for ugly people..a comedy show...
"because right now, the candidate who provides the most goodies, rents the most buses to transport the supporters, buys the most tickets to give to anyone they can bribe to vote for them wins"
EXACTLY. "ala" the presidential win. Thanks, Jody.
BCWC: "And we finish off our lovely meal with a nice slab of Spotted Dick."
Hey, I LIKE Spotted Dick! Okay, I really just like ordering it. Someday I hope to have a chance to order Toad in the Hole too. And you can't have bangers & mash without mushy peas.
But what do I know about gourmet food? I'm starting the day off tomorrow with a big serving of scrapple!
My first thought when I saw the "Turkey Pardon" headline was WHAT?... Pardon? I didn't even know they had charged Romney yet!
JoAnne in PA
Mmmm ... scrapple ... I stuffed that stuff down my gullet several times in NC.
To qualify for the Pardon...a turkey has to make the following direct request-
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"I beg your pardon"
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.... then a pardon board will make a decision on the request, then making recommendation to the president - who has the final say.
If President Obama really wants to pardon some turkeys, I can think of a lot of names to suggest.....but will save them for another day. I just came across my post from LAST Thanksgiving the other day.....and realized that a year later, it's all still true and I don't really have much to add. So with apologies for the repeat, here's what I wish for and what I'm thankful for - again!
I wish, to paraphrase our President, that we could disagree here without being so disagreeable all the time. But I'm thankful for all of you who do try.
I wish all Americans would realize that we're only truly "exceptional" when we work together, when we help our neighbors, when we reach out to strangers in need, and when we remember that we're the UNITED States of America. But I'm thankful for all the unsung heroes who don't need holidays to remind them to care about others.
I wish we would never lose another father, mother, son, or daughter to war. But I'm thankful to all those who are so willing to sacrifice their own hopes and dreams so the rest of us can enjoy ours.
I wish that some of you could see Barack Obama through my eyes for just one day. But I'm thankful for every day I've been able to call him PRESIDENT Obama.
I wish that American exceptionalism was better represented in the field of Republican presidential candidates this year than just Jon Huntsman, because I think my Republican friends - and indeed, all Americans - deserve a chance to choose between the best and brightest on both sides of the issues. But if I'm being completely honest here, I'm thankful that they're making President Obama's re-election seem easier every day!
I wish, seriously, that elections could still be based on an honest debate on the issues instead of on fundraising totals, trivial distractions, YouTube moments, catch-phrases, personal attacks, and those god-awful misleading, truth-bending, insulting tv ads that drag the entire process into the gutter. But I'm thankful we still live in a country where you're free to ignore all that and base your vote on your personal convictions and values, whatever those may be.
I wish I liked my job even a tenth as much as Mark and Domenico seem to love theirs. But I'm thankful for this forum where they invite us to share in their job every day. And hey, I'm especially thankful that my bosses are letting me take next week off, as busy as we currently are. After the year I've just struggled through, I totally deserve it!
I wish some of the posters here (and we all know who they are) would lighten up just once in a while and discover the joy of having a sense of humor and not taking everything so deadly seriously all the time. But I'm thankful for the Grimeys and Drive-bys and Forrest Grumps and Da Noids and Anna Mollys and Independent Rednecks who can bring a smile to even the gloomiest days, whether I agree with what they say or not.
I wish everyone here could get to know the LibsR Us/Dew Drop Inn gang - not as a gang, or a clique of "cool kids", or a bunch of "delusional libbie moon-bats" - but as the warm-hearted, fun-loving, compassionate, smart, diverse group of people I've come to think of as the family I got to choose. And I'm really thankful that they chose me back.
And finally, I wish everyone here a very happy Thanksgiving.But I'm really, REALLY thankful you're not all coming for dinner tomorrow!
Happy Thanksgiving ... to the Turkey....too
JoAnne: Speaking as a proud member of the "treehouse gang," I'm proud to call you, and all of you, family too!
The cornbread is baking for dressing, getting ready to do the best two out of three with the turkey, so I can make broth.
Domenico, congratulations again on your little daughter! Thanks to you and Mark and First Read staff for giving us this soapbox.
To my new friends, glad to be getting to know you better, to Libs, you guys are the BEST!
To my conservative friends, I know this election was hard for you but:
Thanks to America for re electing the President!
JoAnne,
Excellent post! I'm so thankful that I've gotten to know the LibsRUs/DDI gang! You've all graciously accepted me into the fold and it's been so appreciated.
I actually have the luxury of doing absolutely nothing for dinner tomorrow except showing up. Having been the cook for years, it will be an interesting day.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
JoAnne said:
Thanks JoAnne! :-)
Newday said:
Living in a swing state, by the time it was over I didn't care if Homer Simpson won the election as long as the ads stopped. ;-)
Thanks to all the posters here, liberal and conservative, and to Mark and Dom for hosting. May you all have a fantastic turkey, family, and football filled Thanksgiving!! On that note, I shall leave you all with my favorite family Thanksgiving story from years ago:
My mom and dad traditionally host the family Thanksgiving dinner with my mom insisting on doing all of the cooking. (She's a fantastic cook). One year, my grandmother said that she just couldn't stand seeing my mom doing all of the cooking year after year and that she was going to take care of Thanksgiving dinner for once. My mom fought her tooth and nail, but my grandmother insisted and eventually won out. My grandmother was a pretty good cook in her own right! My mom did at least win a concession that Thanksgiving would still be at her house being as my grandmothers place was small. My grandmother said that is no problem, she would bring the feast over. So, she calls up my mom and says she is on her way, have Grimey meet me in the driveway so he can help carry the food in. So, my mom sends me out. And in I come a few minutes later...my arms full of Boston Market bags. Oh how I wish cell phone cameras were the norm back then...because the look on my mom's face when I walked in was priceless. :-)
Happy Thanksgiving all!!
JoAnne, it was worth repeating!
Safe travels to those who are headed "over the river and through the woods". While we are thankful to know most of us here will have more than plenty to eat tomorrow, there are many Americans who will not have that luxury tomorrow or the next day or the next. Those who say grace before meals, even if only on Thanksgiving, it would be nice to add an extra thought tomorrow for the homeless, the poor and the hungry.
Same to you, Frank! You are my favorite conservative and I hope you know that!
JoAnne,
As a card carrying, secret decoder ring wearing, member of the treehouse gang, I couldn't agree with your thoughts more!
Enjoy your well deserved upcoming vacation!
Ditto what JoAnne said!
I always look forward to seeing your voice of reason around here, Grimey!
PS: LOVED your Thanksgiving story! That's a classic! lol
Grimey, I love that family story!
I have many great family holiday memories but the ones that stand out the most are the ones where there were flops in the cooking area. One year my Grandma, who made wonderful dressing, must have gotten distracted. The dressing was an odd shade of green, with an overpowering flavor. She said the lid fell off the sage after she had finished adding the right amount but I always figured she forgot and put in more. One year my Mom, also a wonderful cook, forgot to put the sugar in the pumpkin pie; the look on my stepdad's face was "priceless" as they say. He liked to tease a bit so we thought he was joking UNTIL WE TOOK A BITE! No amount of sprinkling sugar on top could save that pie.
Newday, Feisty, and Jody...thanks for the kind words and well wishes. Always fun to share thoughts and opinions with you all.
Jody...the best stories do tend to be the cooking / food ones don't they? The ones that you can laugh about years later.
Domenico...Uh oh...just saw on Twitter about the whole Dom vs Domenico thing. Apologies if you don't like going by Dom...as I've been calling you for the past few years I think. D'oh.
Too funny, Jody. My mom had difficulty getting jello to set - not a born cook, that woman, but her stuffing is still unsurpassed. Nobody in the family does it better, although my sister has mastered creamed onions (the secret ingredient is the sherry.)
Grimey -
See that? Your story was just what I meant! Can't say I've got any Thanksgiving stories like that, but I'll bet I'm the only one here who ever spent Thanksgiving at her father's wedding - and yes, turkey and all the trimmings at the reception. Nothing like Thanksgiving dinner for meeting most of your new family for the first time ever!
JoAnne---those classic thoughts were worth repeating! Thanks for sharing. I am so thankful for the liberal friends I've made here----so nice to know there are kindred souls out in the world!
We make a German stuffing with sausage and ground meat in it. Everyone likes it so much that we make extra into a meat loaf and have it at lunch time. One year my mom must not have baked it enough because by the next morning we were all sick as dogs! We figured the sausage hadn't fully cooked.
Used to go to the Bowery Mission on Thanksgiving to serve meals to the homeless, until it became such a "thing" that there were often as many "servers" as diners on Thanksgiving day. But this year is different, as many of my fellow New Yorkers have been displaced and made homeless in the aftermath of the worst storm to hit the area in my lifetime.
So, I'll spend a few hours at one of the (all too many) area meal dispensing locations or travel with a friend to Breezy Point and spend the day. Either way, in light of the innumerable hardships and irretrievable loss suffered by so many of my fellows, it is the least one can do.
I wish everyone the best Thanksgiving, but ask that you take a moment to think of those less fortunate and those who will be spending their Thanksgiving far from the comforts of home.
Looks like it will be a great day in New York tomorrow and that should bring some good cheer. Enjoy your day Dangerfield ... I think I will boil up some cabbage and crack a Newcastle ... may splurge and open up the can of haggis.
same to you dangerfield and you too Ikarus.
Happy Thanksgiving, dangerfield; you, too, Caesar. BCWC, just enjoy an ordinary day up there!
You also Parker and Jody.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!...
Americans, all of you, happy Thanksgiving!
You, too, Mikeinoregon!
Since we're talkin' turkey, here. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
God Bless all of you even my Republican brothers and sisters I love you all. It is so good to be an American and I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving.
Capt. Smash & family
Thank-you sir & happy returns!
Absolutely, no dis-respect.....but, must share.....At a former job, as soon as I exited the train each morning, an insane man would approached me and asked for money.....immediately, after giving him cash, he would graciously bowed his head and said ......"HAPPY RETURNS".
The worst bankrupt>>>>>is the man who lost his enthusiasm>>>
>>>>>>>>chase your passion>>>>not your pension>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>HAPPY-THANKS-GIVING>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Pretty close to perfect bird--refer to Alton's on cooking tv.