Cord Byrd: “So, Mr. President, I want to spend a few minutes just being thankful. The change in party control is but a small shift…”

“So, Mr. President, I want to spend a few minutes just being thankful. The change in party control is but a small shift in the wind compared to the gale forces that have blown in the past. It does not compare to war, to acts of terror, the upheavals in the strategic balance of power. I will live through that again, if I live, if the Good Lord so blesses me. Today, as the Senate attempts to conclude its work for this session, one can almost smell the turkey roasting. Tomorrow, if the Good Lord willing--in the Book of James it says: Don't say you will go here or there tomorrow, and you will buy this and that, or you will visit this city or that tomorrow; but say: If the Lord wills. The Book of James. So tomorrow, if the Lord wills, my wife and I hope to visit the Giant store over in McLean. And I can see the lines in the grocery stores. They are long. And the carts are full, as families prepare for the feast, for the feast to come next week: Plump turkeys, deep red cranberries--my wife is the best when it comes to fixing that cherry pie and the cranberry dressing, and all these things--rich pumpkin pie filling, sweet whipped cream, crisp green beans, flour and spices for baking--all are fond reminders of the season of Thanksgiving. This year, travel is expected to rebound, after the scares of last year, as families reconnect more strongly. The Thanksgiving feast, the epitome of family tradition, is back, more precious, more appreciated than ever.”