U.S. President George W. Bush takes no chances for a mishap as he grabs a turkey named 'Biscuit' by the neck during a photo opportunity at the turkey pardoning ceremony in the Rose Garden of the White House November 17, 2004.

U.S. President George W. Bush has expressed a common bond with a broad-breasted turkey named "Biscuits," which won a White House election to become national turkey for this year's Thanksgiving holiday.

"This is an election year and Biscuits had to earn his spot at the White House," Bush said on Wednesday at an annual Rose Garden ceremony at which he pardoned the 44-pound (20 kg) white tom turkey from a centre-stage appearance on the Thanksgiving dinner table.

The president, who won re-election on November 2 after a tight race against Democrat John Kerry, joked that Biscuits and his running-mate, "Gravy," had run "neck-and-neck" against a rival ticket of "Patience" and "Fortitude."

Bush said the national turkey election had several parallels with the 2004 presidential race, which featured attacks on Kerry by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the anti-Bush movie "Fahrenheit 9/11" by filmmaker Michael Moore.

"It came down to a few battleground states," the Republican president said.

"It was a tough contest and it turned out some 527 organizations got involved, including Barnyard Animals for Truth. There was a scurrilous film that came out, "Fahrenheit 375 Degrees At 10 Minutes Per Pound," he said.

The 22-week-old Biscuit, who was more interested in the Rose Garden shrubbery than the ceremony, will spend the rest of his days at a Virginia petting farm called "Frying Pan Park."

(Agencies)