Howard Mortman, C-SPAN’s go-to guy in D.C., regularly tweets classic political video from the channel’s library on Thursdays. Today, he acknowledged that Turkey Day put him a bit behind schedule when he tweeted a true classic:
#ThrowbackThursday (a few days late): 10 years ago Thanksgiving: Pres Bush suprise Iraq visit http://t.co/Yy4NKJqwKo pic.twitter.com/7hvVwG82NQ
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) December 2, 2013
That was, of course, when the troops whooped and hollered at the touching visit where George W. Bush surprised them on Thanksgiving, ate turkey at the mess hall, and chatted with the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way.
President Obama has never visited the troops on Thanksgiving or Christmas, though in 2010 he visited Afghanistan between the two holidays to meet with President Hamid Karzai and visited troops at Bagram in the process.
“Earlier today, President Obama called 10 service members: two from the Army, two from the Marine Corps, two from the Navy, two from the Air Force and two from the Coast Guard,” the White House said on Thursday. “He thanked all of them for their service, and he wished them and their families a Happy Thanksgiving.”
The White House also noted that the Obamas feasted on nine types of pie: “Huckleberry pie, pecan pie, chocolate cream pie, sweet potato pie, peach pie, apple pie, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie, coconut cream pie.”
National Security Advisor Susan Rice was sent to Afghanistan last week to meet with Karzai. “On behalf of President Obama, she is thanking the men and women who are away from their families this Thanksgiving and serving in harm’s way,” NSC spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said. However, Rice flew out of the country two days before Thanksgiving.
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