Obama Deploys Big Bird In New Political Ad - News9.com - Oklahoma City, OK - News, Weather, Video and Sports |

President Barack Obama's campaign is deploying Big Bird in a new TV ad chiding Mitt Romney for saying he will end federal funding for public broadcasting.

The satirical ad shows images of convicted financiers, including Bernie Madoff and Enron's Ken Lay, and suggests Romney thinks Big Bird is behind their crimes.

The Republican hopeful said in last week's debate that he would end subsidies to PBS as a way to cut federal spending, even though he likes Big Bird. Obama's ad pokes fun at that assertion, saying Romney "knows it isn't Wall Street you need to worry about, it's Sesame Street."

Republicans say the ad shows Obama is focusing on inconsequential matters rather than more urgent issues like the economy and the Middle East.

Romney says he's scratching his head over President Obama's focus on Big Bird.

Campaigning in Iowa Tuesday, Romney said "you have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving Big Bird." The Republican presidential nominee said Obama's focus should be on saving the American people and family farms.

Romney addressed more than 1,000 supporters gathered on a corn field in Van Meter, a small town near Des Moines.