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Obama adviser: No plans to change Big Bird ad

A new Obama ad that has ruffled feathers by mockingly portraying Big Bird as a corporate villain will stay on the air, a senior Obama campaign adviser said Wednesday.“I don’t know of any plans to change that ad,” Robert Gibbs told TODAY’s Matt Lauer. The ad sarcastically compares the beloved Sesame Street character, the breakout star in last week's presidential debate, to major white-colla

A new Obama ad that has ruffled feathers by mockingly portraying Big Bird as a corporate villain will stay on the air, a senior Obama campaign adviser said Wednesday.

“I don’t know of any plans to change that ad,” Robert Gibbs told TODAY’s Matt Lauer.

The ad sarcastically compares the beloved Sesame Street character, the breakout star in last week's presidential debate, to major white-collar criminals and “gluttons of greed” Bernie Madoff, Kenneth Lay and others.

But the organization behind Sesame Street asked the Obama campaign to take down the ad.

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

Gibbs said the ad points out differences between Obama and Republican nominee.

“Mitt Romney took to the debate and said I’m going to get tough by ending Downton Abbey and going to war with Sesame Street when he’s going to let Wall Street off the hook and not hold them accountable as we go forward in financial reform,” he said. “Look, we can’t have a president that does that. That’s certainly a part of a very real issue.”

On Tuesday, Arizona Sen. John McCain told TODAY that the Big Bird ad illustrated a lack of ideas by the Obama campaign.

“It may show paucity of ideas in ways to criticize Mitt Romney,” said the former Republican presidential candidate.

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