At a recent Capitol Hill rally against proposed cuts in government funding for public broadcasting, Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., claimed to be accompanied by Clifford the Big Red Dog. But in photographs from the rally, it's clear that "Clifford" is shorter than Markey, who, according to his office, is slightly more than 6 feet tall. The real Clifford, by contrast, is huge, towering over people and backyard fences. He's as big as a house .
Even if Markey had not presented an obvious impostor as Clifford, it would be hard to take him seriously. Like most supporters of taxpayer funding for TV and radio broadcasts, he simultaneously exaggerates and minimizes the significance of the subsidy, refuting his own argument.
If you've been listening to NPR or watching PBS, which have been carrying scaremongering ads warning of the looming fiscal threat, you've no doubt heard that Congress is considering legislation [OR: heard about legislation recently approved/defeated by the House of Representatives] that would cut federal funding for public broadcasting by about 45 percent next year. "Some people are too little to call their congressmen," says the announcer in an ad on Maryland's WMPT as a montage of adorable babies is shown. "Why don't you call for them?"
Markey continued the shameless child exploitation at his Capitol Hill rally, which included a group of preschoolers. "We are here today," he announced, "to send a message to Republican leaders: Don't starve Big Bird."
As the father of a 2-year-old, I see "Sesame Street" almost every day, and I've noticed something Markey hasn't: Big Bird could stand to lose a few pounds. If Cookie Monster can recognize that his favorite snack is a "sometime food," surely his feathered friend could set a better example for America's tubby tykes.
In truth, however, there's little danger that Big Bird will have to cut back on those birdseed shakes. "Sesame Street" is one of the most popular children's programs in history -- so popular that licensing fees from "Sesame Street" dolls, toys, clothing and other merchandise are the main source of income for the organization that produces the show. As Rep. Ralph Regula, R-Ohio, pointed out when his colleague Nita M. Lowey, D-N.Y., started waving around Bert and Ernie puppets at an appropriations hearing, "Your puppets get one-half of 1 percent of the money, so you can relax, Nita."