Posted on 10/09/2012 5:00:03 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
Sesame Street asks Obama campaign to take down attack ad featuring Big Bird By Daniel Strauss - 10/09/12 04:58 PM ET
Sesame Street has asked President Obama's campaign to take down its latest attack ad against Mitt Romney, which features footage of Big Bird.
"Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns," a Tuesday statement on Sesameworkshop.org reads. "We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down."
The Obama campaign said it would review the request. "We've received and will review their concerns," said an Obama campaign official.
Sesame Street later amended its statement to ask both the Obama campaign and Mitt Romney's campaign to remove all characters and trademarks from their campaign ads.
Big Bird first entered the 2012 presidential race when Romney at last week’s first debate said he would cut funding for PBS.
“I like PBS. I love Big Bird. Actually, I like you, too,” Romney said to debate moderator Jim Lehrer, the host of PBS's "NewsHour." “But I'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for."
Romney’s remarks caused a frenzy on the social media website Twitter and led to a cameo by Big Bird on "Saturday Night Live."
Obama has repeatedly criticized and mocked Romney for the attack on Big Bird, a strategy that culminated in the ad the Obama campaign released on Tuesday.
The ad compares Big Bird, whom Romney mentioned during last Wednesday's presidential debate, to corporate titans prosecuted for financial misdeeds.
"Bernie Madoff. Ken Lay. Dennis Kozlowski: Criminals. Gluttons of greed. And the evil genius who towered over them?" a voice-over says as a silhouette of Big Bird moves on screen. "Big, yellow, a menace to our economy. Mitt Romney knows it's not Wall Street you have to worry about, it's Sesame Street."
At a campaign speech in Iowa on Tuesday Romney said Obama was trying to move the focus away from more serious topics.
"These are tough times, with real serious issues. So you have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about Big Bird," Romney said at the campaign event. "I actually think we have to have a president who talks about saving the American people."
— Amie Parnes contributed
— This story was first posted at 11:28 a.m. and last updated at 4:58 p.m.
“The Obama campaign said it would review the request. “We’ve received and will review their concerns,” said an Obama campaign official.”
The King’s doofus has spoken.
There are strings attached to those obamabucks. They can use you in their commercials if the emperor wants to.
Wouldn’t there be a copyright on Big Bird’s image?
“Wouldn’t there be a copyright on Big Bird’s image?”
I can’t imagine there wouldn’t be.
Of course you realize that is a matter of the law and we already know the Liar King is above any of our puny laws.
ONE of these things don't belong .... and every color and ethnic kid, assembled on a city brownstone stoop (Ahhh .. memories of Beacon steet, Boston .. '67, '68, '69 ) Raise their hands to be recognised ... TEE cha', TEE cha' ...
Play nice, re-cycle and Oscar?
He's just an ol' grouch ... pay him no mind.
Piffle.
I grew up watching Sesame Street. It’s mostly about education and getting along with others. There was no socialist message then.
This story is GOOD. They are saying, “Nobama”... they are actually abiding by being a non-profit and won’t allow their characters to be used by an official campaign.
We ought to be making a big deal of this.
Obama thought he could pimp out Big Bird....but the campaign laid an egg.
If Big Bird wasn’t federally-subsidized, there would be no controversy.
Sounds like they took Romney seriously. They’re sucking up hoping he doesn’t kill Big Bird.
They will review the request? What part of law dealing with copywrite does the “constitutional scholar “ understand?
I'm sure the constitutional scholar is up-to-speed on the power to pardon. Obama's reaction to this kerfuffle: "Pardon me?"
That's my take also. I loved it when Romney told Jim Lehrer that he wasn't going to borrow money from China to pay his salary. I remember when that kind of talk was common. It was so damn refreshing to hear. I hope he keeps it up!
Please.....keep it up!
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