Obama spares Peace and Liberty in annual pardon

Peace and Liberty got a presidential pardon today, but there was no mercy for their Pennsylvania brethren. 

Peace and Liberty are the 45-pound turkeys President Obama pardoned today as part of a 64-year-old White House tradition that each year spares fowl from ending up -- as President Obama put it -- "next to the mashed potatoes and stuffing."

The birds were raised by four students at Willmar High School in Minnesota.

"Now, I’m told that in order to prepare Liberty and Peace for their big day, the students exposed them to loud noises and flash bulbs so that they’d be ready to face the White House press corps," the president said at this morning's pardoning ceremony. "This is actually true.  They also received the most important part of their media training, which involves learning how to gobble without really saying anything," he quipped.

Peace and Liberty now are headed for "a life of leisure" at Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens -- "the same place where George Washington spent his golden years," Mr. Obama noted.

Alas, two gobblers from Orefield, Pa. were not as lucky. Jaindl's Turkey Farm presented them to the president as well -- dressed and ready for the first family to donate them to a food bank.