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In return, the pair of enormous turkeys gobbled their
appreciation in the latest installment of the smile-inducing
tradition at the White House to kick off the holiday season.
With November temperatures providing a chill in the air on the
South Lawn, Biden said he did not want to have a long event
because "nobody likes it when their turkey gets cold."
The U.S. military band got the crowd in the mood for the event
by playing a version of the Lynyrd Skynyrd song "Free Bird"
ahead of the pardon. From the balcony of the White House behind
Biden, his German shepherd Commander observed and barked loudly.
Millions of turkeys will be roasted in Thanksgiving ovens on
Thursday across the country and drenched in gravy, accompanied
by a variety of side dishes from potatoes to green bean
casserole.
But Chocolate, weighing in at 46 pounds (21 kg), and Chip, at 47
pounds, will live out their lives in their home state, at North
Carolina State University. The White House turkey pardon is a
tradition that dates back decades.
Biden referred to the midterm congressional elections on Nov. 8
in which Democrats held on to control of the U.S. Senate and
lost the House of Representatives by a slim margin to
Republicans, denying the opposition party its hoped-for "red
wave."
"The votes are in. They've been counted and verified. There's no
ballot stuffing. There's no 'fowl' play," he quipped. The only
"red wave," Biden said, will be if Commander knocks over the
cranberry sauce.
Later on Monday evening, Biden and his wife Jill flew to North
Carolina to thank Marines based there during a "Friendsgiving"
dinner.
"You represent 1% of the population and you defend the rest of
us," Biden said before donning an apron and gloves to spoon out
mashed potatoes for service members. "We wanted to come and tell
you how much we appreciate all you've done."
(Reporting by Jeff Mason; Additional reporting by Trevor
Hunnicutt; Writing by Steve Holland; Editing by Josie Kao and
Rosalba O'Brien)
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