Blunt pardons two turkeys
Claiming the race was too close to call, Gov. Matt Blunt pardoned the two front running turkeys in a statewide contest to name and subsequently pardon a turkey for Thanksgiving.
The two turkeys, Turkulese and Stewie, were named by students from Eugene Elementary in Eugene, Mo. and Richland Elementary in Richland, Mo. This is the second consecutive year that the contest was held, and, according to the release, 4.5 million votes were received by Missourians.
"Missourians are used to close elections, and apparently that also goes for this year’s contest to name the lucky turkey which is still too close to call," Blunt said in a news release. "With the ballots still being counted, and Turkulese and Stewie locked in an unexpectedly tight race, I have decided to pardon two turkeys this year and save both Stewie and Turkulese from ending up on a dinner plate."
The turkeys will live out the rest of their days in at the Weston Red Barn Farm near Weston, Mo. The remaining turkeys in the state still have the chance to be slathered in cranberry sauce and eaten with a side of green bean casserole.