Turkey given a pardon -- and a job offer

President pardons 'Liberty' the turkey at the White House.

I'm not sure what the recidivism rate is for turkeys, but the one that received a presidential pardon today has a job all lined up to keep him out of trouble.

President Barrack Obama took part in the long-running White House tradition of sparing a turkey from the Thanksgiving table with an official pardon.

In a twist on the practice, however, Wild Turkey Bourbon has offered it the chance to become the distillery's official "spokesbird."

Says Wild Turkey master distiller Jimmy Russell, "In a manner of direct speaking, we invite the President to give us the bird."

Russell took the opportunity to point out that the company's recent $50 million expansion of its Lawrenceburg, KY, faciity to 134,000 square feet provides sufficient room for the prospective employee to wander around. And, he added, "There would be no threat of future Thanksgiving-related job cuts."

However, Wild Turkey will have to compete for the bird with George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, where it is scheduled to be on display to visitors through January 6, 2012, then retire to a custom-built home on the estate.

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