Six House Democrats are planning a press conference for 11:15 a.m. Eastern Wednesday (Feb. 16) to announce their efforts to oppose cuts proposed for CPB in H.R.1, the Continuing Resolution under debate this week. Reps. Ed Markey (Mass.), Earl Blumenauer (Ore.), Nita Lowey (Iowa), Sam Farr (Calif.) and Paul Tonko and Bill Owens (both N.Y.) “will be joined by a character from one of America’s favorite public television shows” on the House side of the east front of the Capitol. Could it be . . . the “Big Bird defense”? Fifteen years ago the tactic rescued CPB funding by a 2-to-1 House majority during Newt Gingrich’s reign as House speaker. Last October, former House Appropriations Committee Chairman Bob Livingston (R-La.) acknowledged to Fox News that back in ’95, “It was Big Bird that killed us” (Current, Nov. 29, 2010).
UPDATE: Nope, no Big Bird defense. A spokesperson for Sesame Workshop tells Current that there will not be any Sesame Street characters present.