If it’s not annoying enough that liberals are defending PBS with an antiquated clip of Mister Rogers testifying to Congress in 1969, it’s really annoying that now they’re using clips from The West Wing — as if that Aaron Sorkin propaganda isn’t imbued with the same arrogant liberal spirit as “public” broadcasting. Characters give impassioned liberal speeches, so naturally there are going to be pro-PBS speeches.

Long-winded Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) proclaimed “Public broadcasters like PBS and NPR give every American access to culture, history, art, and trusted journalism. They’re a cornerstone of civic life.”

What baloney. When Democrats hail “trusted journalism,” it means “trusted to give Democrats every break.”

In the clip, a character correctly explains that the makers of Sesame Street never pay back into PBS: “Product licensing for this merchandise brings in over 20 million dollars a year, none of which goes to PBS, all of which goes the show’s producer, the Children’s Television Workshop [now Sesame Workshop]…Now this is a company whose chief executive earns high six figures in salary and benefits per year, yet Sesame Street is subsidized by taxpayer dollars.”

Excellent point, and it’s still true. Search for “Sesame Street” under “All Departments” on Amazon and you get over 5,000 results. Nobody has ever expected them to give back to PBS.

“It’s a perfectly reasonable complaint,” responds the communications director character Toby Ziegler, who quickly adds, “I don’t care” before launching into a diatribe about how commercial TV has sex and violence, so by Jove, they need to defend the Muppets and Julia Child. 

Public broadcasters like PBS and NPR give every American access to culture, history, art, and trusted journalism. They’re a cornerstone of civic life.
Defunding them does a disservice to us all, especially in rural communities.
We must defend them. pic.twitter.com/oU78Nm5yin
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 3, 2025
A month ago, “trusted” PBS fawned over Booker’s fake filibuster. PBS pundit Jonathan Capehart found it “so inspiring” and his pseudoconservative counterpart David Brooks gushed, “if Donald Trump is going to be all about gloom and carnage and threat, Cory Booker is about upbeat. And that’s a good way to counter the vibe of Donald Trump.”