Idiot in red dog suit adds flava to protest.

Children and other supporters of U.S. public broadcasting were in Washington Tuesday to protest recently proposed federal funding cuts.

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton was among the Democrats at several news conferences on Capitol Hill, where young children held aloft signs reading, "We love PBS" and "Don't can Oscar," a reference to the beloved garbage-can-dwelling character from Sesame Street, the Public Broadcasting System's acclaimed longstanding children's show.

"Every day I hear from parents who are concerned about the quality of programming on television," Rodham Clinton said. "They're concerned about the violence. They're concerned about the sex."

Last week, the U.S. House Appropriations Committee put forth a bill to cut next year's funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting by $100 million US, or about 25 per cent of its budget. The body distributes federal funds to public broadcasters across the country, including to PBS and National Public Radio.

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