BIG Bird yesterday called on his entire gang and their supporters to Occupy Sesame Street to protest Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s “Kill Big Bird” platform, which supports the defunding of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

“I’ve been a TV legend and part of the American educational culture. I’ve seen so many children grow up before my eyes, including Romney’s own children. It’s not fair to drag me into politics,” Big Bird said in an interview with Flights.

Romney disclosed the “Kill Big Bird” platform on Wednesday during the first presidential face-off in Denver, where he and Democratic President Barack Obama debated tax policy, health care, budget deficit, and the role of government.

In an exchange with Obama on the issue of tightening the federal budget, Romney said, “I'm going to stop the subsidy to PBS. I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I like you too, Jim (Lehrer), but I’m going to stop borrowing money from China to pay for things we don’t need.”

In previous public statements, Romney has repeatedly advocated pulling the plug on the federal subsidy for PBS, arguing that it was unnecessary due to the large private support that the network receives.

“If Mitt indeed loves me, why would he use me as the sacrificial bird?” Big Bird lamented. “There are other areas to cut spending, such as defense, not the worthwhile projects such as ours and PBS, for that matter. It’s a shame that Romney put educational TV in the box of ‘things we don’t need.’”

Big Bird suspected he is being used as a pawn in the extreme ideological battle given that PBS is perceived as a liberal-leaning entity.

“Funding for PBS is not and should not be an ideological issue,” Big Bird said. “As a matter of fact, survey showed that 53 percent of conservatives oppose unplugging support for public broadcasting because of the family-oriented values of its programming.”

PBS, according to Big Bird, is valuable to everyone who falls in every category of statistics, including the 47 percent who Romney said didn't pay taxes; the 99 percent who the Occupiers said were getting kicked out of their homes; and even the 1 percent who are getting everything.

“Sesame Street is known for its educational content and creativity and cultural references,” Big Bird said.

PBS has nearly 360 member stations providing viewers the opportunity to explore new ideas, sort out diverse beliefs and discover new worlds.

PBS received $444 million in fiscal 2012 and Big Bird pointed out that getting rid of public media would not make a dent in the federal deficit.

“It would not create jobs either,” Big Bird said. “On the contrary, it will kill jobs. I have been in the TV business since 1969. If Romney becomes president, I’d find myself jobless, along with Cookie, Elmo and Grover. There will be more of us who will become part of the 99 percent.”

Those advocating the funding cut for PBS said shutting down PBS would not cause life-threatening tragedies to the American people.

“That is not true,” Big Bird said. “I believe that deep down they know the value of public broadcasting. Without a TV that runs decent programming, we are doomed to suffer from the Kardashians.”