Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Sesame Street Tells Obama: Stop Using Us in Ads

It seems that Big Bird is none too happy about Barry using them as ammo in political attacks against Mitt Romney:

Big Bird, a bright-yellow protagonist of children’s television show “Sesame Street,” wants out of his role in a nationwide television advertisement for President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign.
In the 30-second TV ad and an accompanying statement, the president’s re-election team needled

Republican challenger Mitt Romney for focusing on cutting government support to “Sesame Street” distributor PBS, which would do little to reign in excess spending, instead of offering specific details about financial regulations needed to prevent financial fraud, such as the Ponzi scheme orchestrated by Bernie Madoff.

“Mitt Romney knows it’s not Wall Street you have to worry about, it’s Sesame Street,” says the narrator in the spot, set to run on cable TV nationwide. “Mitt Romney. Taking on our enemies, no matter where they nest.”

But Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind the long-running educational show, wants the ad removed.
“We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down,” according to a statement from Sesame Workshop.
The Obama campaign has received the request and is “reviewing it,” said Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
 The idea that we would fund Sesame Street, a highly successful program that has taken in literally billions in profits in its 43-year run, is ludicrous. The idea that Barry would actually boasts about giving money to a program that makes money hand over fist and has been self-supporting for decades is ridiculous -- kind of like giving Bill Gates housing assistance. The practice of using this non-profit 501c3 organization in ads attacking Mitt Romney because he wants to be fiscally responsible and not give money to a highly profitable television program is beyond the pale. 

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