Sesame Street to Obama: Leave Big Bird out of ad

Just hours after the Obama presidential campaign unveiled a new attack ad featuring Big Bird, the organization behind Sesame Street is telling the campaign to take it down.

The ad plays off Mitt Romney’s statements in last week’s debate that he would cut off funding for Big Bird and public broadcasting.

In it, a narrator invokes convicted “gluttons of greed” including Bernie Madoff and Kenneth Lay before saying only “one man has the guts” to speak the name of “evil genius who towered over” them: Big Bird. The ad continues with Romney repeatedly saying “Big Bird” followed by a clip of Big Bird saying, “It’s me, Big Bird.”

“Big, yellow, a menace to our economy,” the satirical ad continues. “Mitt Romney knows it’s not Wall Street you have to worry about, it’s Sesame Street.”

“Mitt Romney, taking on our enemies no matter where they nest,” it ends.

But the non-profit Sesame Workshop doesn’t see anything funny about it.

“Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns,” the group said in a statement. “We have approved no campaign ads, and as is our general practice, have requested that the ad be taken down.”

Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters today that they’re reviewing Sesame Workshop’s request to pull the ad, CBS News reports.

Big Bird has been seemingly the most talked about issue to emerge from the presidential debate. The beloved children’s character also appeared on Saturday Night Live over the weekend, mocking his inclusion in the debate.