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Big Bird, moms, react to Mitt Romney's comment about cutting funding to PBS

Print | Comments () Posted by Kristi Palma October 4, 2012 10:31 AM

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AP Photo/Matt Sayles, file

Big Bird was thrust into the spotlight last night during the presidential debate.

When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said, "I love Big Bird," but followed the statement with a plan to cut funding to PBS, Twitter was flooded with talk of the famous bird.

Immediately, Twitter accounts appeared with the handles @BigBirdRomney, @BigBird, @FiredBigBird, and more.

There were 17,000 tweets per minute about Big Bird after Romney mentioned the "Sesame Street" mainstay's name, reports Entertainment Weekly.

What does Big Bird have to say about all this? Apparently, he slept through it.

A tweet from @SesameStreet this morning:

Big Bird: My bed time is usually 7:45, but I was really tired yesterday and fell asleep at 7! Did I miss anything last night?

The above tweet was retweeted more than 5,000 times as of this writing.

And from @SesameWorkshop:

We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. We do not comment on campaigns, but we’re happy we can all agree that everyone likes Big Bird!

The Boston Globe tried to reach Caroll Spinney, a Waltham native, who has voiced the Sesame Street character since the 1960s, to get a reaction to Romney's comment. Find out what happened.

And here's what some local mom bloggers have tweeted.

From @muffintopmommy:

If Big Bird is job hunting today, I hear there might be an opening with the Sox.

From @FairlyOddMother:

First Clint Eastwood. Now Big Bird. Romney needs to keep these big figures away from him. It'll be all the talk tomorrow. #debate

From @mommyniri:

Crap! Romney said he would stop PBS!!!!! #BlogForObama

From @WriteEditRepeat:

Well, that was quick. @SilentJimLehrer and @FiredBigBird are now on Twitter -- and gained thousands of followers in minutes.

From @umommy:

RT @BostonDotCom: RT @JoannaWeiss: Political tip: If you're going to say you're cutting PBS, don't use "Big Bird" in the same sentence....

And check out what women are saying over at @BlogHer:

Romney Loves Big Bird -- While Vowing to Kill Him! http://ow.ly/2svlfl

What do you think of Romney's plan to cut funding to PBS?

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Kristi Palma, Boston.com Moms producer, is the mom of a kindergartner and a preschooler. She is a writer who enjoys cooking her grandmother's Italian recipes (when her son isn't launching paper airplanes into them). Follow her on Twitter @kristipalma.

Jennifer Clark Estes is a teacher, writer, blogger, and the mother of four young children. In her free time, she blogs at A Mom's World, plays with the kids (or chauffeurs them around), and is desperately seeking a quiet spot so she can read a book. Follow her on Twitter @JenniferCEstes.