|
The National Thanksgiving turkey and its alternate are seen during a news conference at the W Hotel in Washington. (Mandel Ngan / AFP/Getty Images / November 20, 2012) |
There are plenty of thanks to go around in Washington: Democrats particularly have gratitude reserved for President Obama’s ground game, Election Day turnout and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s late embrace of the president. And of course, there are the necessary thanks to be sent out to supporters.
Despite the “disappointing” results of the presidential election, Republican Study Committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) remains “thankful that I live in a country where we have the right to choose our leaders and to speak our minds.”
“This is still the country founded on the belief that every man and woman has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Government does not create our rights. They are given to us by God. And it is government’s job to protect and secure them,” Jordan said. “So, don’t be discouraged, be thankful we live in the greatest country in the world.”
PHOTOS: 2016 presidential possibilities
Obama, in his official Thanksgiving proclamation, mentioned the pilgrims, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, whose “expressions of unity still echo today, whether in the contributions that generations of Native Americans have made to our country, the Union our forebears fought so hard to preserve, or the providence that draws our families together this season.”
Americans for Limited Government imparted a different lesson from the pilgrims and their initial “theoretical Marxist utopia -- minus indoor plumbing, NPR, MSNBC and portable electronic devices powered by Solyndra solar panels, naturally.”
“As the United States moves further away from its free market foundation this Thanksgiving, the example of Plymouth is worth considering,” ALG Chairman Howard Rich said of the initial failure of the pilgrims in Plymouth, Mass. “It is a cautionary tale -- a grim reminder of where the federal government’s present trajectory is going to take our nation.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took a more apolitical approach to his holiday well-wishing.
“Today is a day to put aside the political disagreements of the moment and join together in recognition of our many blessings, knowing that among the greatest of these is the ability to call ourselves Americans,” McConnell said.
PHOTOS: America goes to the polls
And Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), took a page from the Obama campaign’s playbook, thanking supporters with an email bizarrely titled, “Tryptophan.”
“They say it’s the tryptophan in the turkey that makes us sleepy. But I think it’s the comfort that comes with family, and the warm feelings of love and gratitude that are part of the Thanksgiving holiday. That, plus all the turkey,” Brown said.
