A look back at the tradition of the ‘Turkey Pardon’

WASHINGTON – A long standing tradition at the White House is the yearly tradition of pardoning the Thanksgiving turkey.  Claims vary as to who began the tradition, from Abraham Lincoln to Dwight Eisenhower, but the most documented reprieve from the dinner table came during the presidency of George H.W. Bush, who made sure the new fowl friend was sent to a children’s petting zoo.