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WASILLA, Alaska–WASILLA, Alaska-Local reporters were invited to see Governor Sarah Palin grant the traditional Thanksgiving pardon to one lucky turkey, but the video that recorded what was happening in the background as she was talking has caught national attention.
The Anchorage Daily News recorded Palin standing in the noisy turkey corral reading the official pardon proclamation and selecting the lucky turkey on Thursday.
"I, Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, anticipating and hoping that in the spirit of Thanksgiving, Alaskans everywhere will find adequate nourishment elsewhere and without this particular turkey I do hereby grant Thanksgiving a full amnesty and pardon and it is so ordered and we will pick one of the big Toms," Palin said, before picking out her pardoned turkey.
As she answered questions afterwards at Triple D Farm & Hatchery outside Wasilla, cameras showed the bloody work of an employee slaughtering birds behind the former Republican vice presidential candidate.
On the video, Palin didn't comment on the slaughter as she answered questions, saying she's thankful that her son's Stryker brigade is relatively safe in Iraq and the rest of her family is healthy and happy. She said she's glad to be back in Alaska.
Holding a cup of coffee, she said of the outing: "Oh, this was neat."
"I was happy to get to be invited to participate in this. For one, you need a little bit of levity in this job, especially with so much that has gone in the last couple of months that has been so political obviously that it's nice to get out and do something to promote a local business and to just participate in something that isn't so heavy-handed politics that it invites criticism. Certainly we'll probably invite criticism for even doing this, too, but at least this was fun."
