Bush, as well as Barney, spare turkey

U.S. President George W. Bush (R) pats 'Flyer' after pardoning the turkey before the Thanksgiving holiday in the Rose Garden of the White House November 22, 2006. Holding the bird is Lynn Nutt, of Springfield, Missouri. REUTERS/Jason Reed (UNITED STATES)

Okay, after looking at the photo here, the big question I would have to ask is, "Who's the turkey?"

This is from Yahoo News:

WASHINGTON — He was going to pardon the National Thanksgiving Turkey anyway, but
President Bush figured he really owed the bird this time. His dog had just scared the stuffing out of it.

Bush spared the turkey — named "Flyer" in an online vote — during a Rose Garden ceremony on Wednesday. The backup bird, "Fryer," was also pardoned but nowhere to be seen on this raw day.

The president explained that his Scottish Terrier, Barney, got involved this year. The presidential dog typically gets his exercise by chasing a soccer ball around the Rose Garden.

"He came out a little early, as did Flyer," Bush said. "And instead of chasing the soccer ball, he chased the bird. And it kind of made the turkey nervous. See, the turkey was nervous to begin with. Nobody's told him yet about the pardon I'm about to give him."

Bush announced that the birds would be sent off to Disneyland in California to be the honorary grand marshals of a Thanksgiving Day Parade, just like their predecessors a year ago.

At one point, Bush moved in for a closer look at Flyer, a well-behaved bird raised in Missouri. He petted the turkey's head and back before inviting a couple dozen Girl Scouts to come up and join him.

"It's a fine looking bird, isn't it?" Bush said.

The popular pardon ceremony dates to the days of President Harry Truman in 1947.

Now on a slightly lighter note, I found these interesting graphics regarding Turkey Day. It is certainly getting a little more expensive having a Thanksgiving feast:

>The cost of a Thanksgiving dinner has increased slightly from 2005. (AP Graphics)

The Yahoo story also reports that "the typical American consumes more than 13 pounds of turkey a year, with a good serving of it coming at Thanksgiving." That's a lot of turkey.

And finally, here is the politically correct way to carve up all that turkey tomorrow:

>Master carvers prefer the technique shown in this illustration for cutting Thanksgiving turkeys. (AP Graphics)

Have a Happy Turkey Day tomorrow!