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Skriven 2005-11-22 23:33:08 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0511221) for Tue, 2005 Nov 22
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President Pardons "Marshmallow and Yam" in Annual Turkey Ceremony
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 22, 2005

President Pardons "Marshmallow and Yam" in Annual Turkey Ceremony
Presidential Hall
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building

President's Remarks
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˙˙˙˙˙Thanksgiving 2005
˙˙˙˙˙Thanksgiving Day, 2005


1:11 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Welcome to the White House. Thank you for
coming this afternoon. It's a pleasure to be able to introduce you, soon,
to the National Thanksgiving Turkey. His name is Marshmallow. (Laughter.)
The alternative turkey's name is Yam. (Laughter.) He's around here
somewhere. He's not going to be in this room. He's in a pickup truck
hanging out by the South Lawn. (Laughter.)

This is what we call -- the White House is called the people's house, and
we're going to call Marshmallow and Yam the people's turkeys. They made it
here through a democratic process. There was a nationwide election on the
White House website. In the end, the voters made the choice, and it was a
close election. You might say it was neck and neck. (Laughter.)

I'm going to grant a pardon this afternoon, and the pardon I grant comes
with a new measure of responsibility and fame for Marshmallow and Yam. In
the past years, the turkeys I spared went on to lead lives of leisure at
Frying Pan Park in the state of Virginia. This year is going to be a little
different. Marshmallow and Yam were a little skeptical about going to a
place called "Frying Pan Park." I don't blame them. So I'm proud to
announce that Marshmallow and Yam will serve as honorary grand marshals at
Disneyland's Thanksgiving Day Parade. And they'll go on to spend the rest
of their natural lives at Disneyland.

The granting of the turkey pardon is not a responsibility that I take
lightly, and I want to thank all of those who helped plan today's event. I
appreciate the efforts of those of you from the National Turkey Federation,
especially Chairman Pete Rothfork and President Alice Johnson. Welcome.
Glad you all are here. I want to thank James and Vicki Trites from Trites
Farm in Henning, Minnesota. Where are they, the Trites? There they are,
right there. Welcome. Thanks for coming. I know that Marshmallow and Yam
are going to feel pretty good strutting around sunny California,
remembering the cold days of Minnesota. (Laughter.) Glad you all are here.

We've also got some other special guests in the audience who exemplify the
spirit of Thanksgiving. And those are the students from Clarksville
Elementary School, from Clarksville, Maryland. Anybody here from
Clarksville Elementary? Welcome. We're glad you're here. Thanks for coming.
These students raised more than $17,000 for the Red Cross fund to benefit
Hurricane Katrina victims. Thanks a lot for your hard work in helping
somebody else.

They're here with the assistant principal, Amy Green. I suspect some
teachers and parents are here with them. Thank you all for teaching. Thanks
for being good parents. Their compassion and dedication show the good heart
of our country. And I'm proud you all are here at the White House.

Thanksgiving is a holiday rooted in the American spirit of gratitude and
sharing. We see this spirit in America today. When the communities along
the Gulf Coast were devastated by Hurricane Katrina, Americans came
together to provide help for their neighbors in need. It was a remarkable
outpouring of compassion and generosity. That outpouring of compassion
demonstrated once again that the great strength of our country lies in the
hearts and souls of our citizens.

We also give thanks on Thanksgiving for our many blessings, and we thank
those who are far away from home who protect our freedoms. It's through the
courage and skill of our Armed Forces that we're safe as a nation, and
we're very proud of their service.

We think of our military families who will have an empty seat at the table
this Thanksgiving. The American people are thankful for the sacrifice of
the American military families, as well. America's men and women in uniform
and their families have our gratitude -- not only on Thanksgiving, but on
every day.

Our guest of honor seems about ready to come on in and say hello. So
without further ado, I grant Marshmallow and Yam a presidential pardon. In
the meantime, may God bless you all and your families during this
Thanksgiving season.

END 1:17 P.M. EST

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