“The differences between the media habits of liberals and conservatives — and between those in the ideological ends and the middle — is striking,” said Amy Mitchell, director of journalism research.

◼ Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project report revealed the “cleavage” in American media habits, with the Left picking CNN, NPR, the New York Times and MSNBC as their sources, and the right Fox. - Paul Bedard/Washington Examiner

The report was released at midnight Monday. It was part of Pew’s ongoing effort to chart the political division in America, seen most during election seasons.

The survey, titled “Political Polarization & Media Habits,” found that conservatives are more unified around Fox, with 47 percent calling it their main source of news about government and policy. They express greater distrust of media, though 88 percent trust Fox. And either with friends or on Facebook, they prefer those with similar political views.

Liberals are less focused on one news source and trust the media more than distrust it. They are more likely than conservatives to “defriend” or block “someone on a social network — as well as to end a personal relationship — because of politics,” said Pew.

OBAMA'S PRIORITIES: Almost half a BILLION for public broadcasting, but NOTHING for families of fallen troops

◼ The very partial shutdown of the federal government has served to expose the real values of the Obama administration. - Thomas Lifson/American Thinker

...PBS NewsHour, National Public Radio and Sesame Street got a taxpayer subsidy during the shutdown, but not would-be cancer patients at the NIH....

Stars and Stripes reports that this weekend "Defense Department officials acknowledged that the shutdown had halted the $100,000 payouts given to fallen troops' families, usually paid within a few days of their deaths...."

"We’ll Save the American Family Not Big Bird"

◼ Speaking in an exclusive interview from Richmond, Va., where he was campaigning, Romney was referring to a new ad by the Obama campaign in recent days that mocks Romney for "finally getting tough on Big Bird." - Paul Scicchitano and Ronald Kessler/Newsmax

The ad was in response to Romney's debate promise to stop subsidizing PBS, which he clarified by saying, "I like PBS. I love Big Bird . . . " adding that he would not, "keep on spending money on things to borrow money from China to pay for it."

Sesame Street received $1 mil stimulus bill grant – created “1.47″ jobs

◼ Sesame Workshop, the independent nonprofit corporation that produces the popular childrens’ program Sesame Street, received a $1,067,532 stimulus bill grant in August 2010, via the Department of Health and Human Services. - sean Higgins/Washington Examiner

The funding was to promote healthy eating according to the federal Recovery.gov website:

SW [i.e., Sesame Workshop] will carry out an expansion of its highly successful Healthy Habits for Life initiative, which promotes improved nutrition and increased physical activity, targeting low-income preschool-aged children and their families and care providers.

The projected created “1.47″ new jobs, the website reported. How they could calculate this to a hundredth of a percent is anybody’s guess. In any event, that comes out to about $726,000 per job created.

The money is separate from the funds Sesame Workshop receives from the federally-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting to run the Sesame Street program on PBS stations.

◼ Time for Big Bird to fly the nest - Emily Miller/Washington Times

Romney is right that PBS doesn’t need tax dollars

The bigger issue with Big Bird is tackling the mindset that government needs to bankroll everything that liberals like. It makes no sense to do that when the network could survive on its own in the marketplace from private donations or advertising. Uncle Sam needs to tell Big Bird to go feather his own nest.

◼ New Obama ad uses Big Bird to hit Romney on deficit, Wall Street - Meghashyam Mali/The Hill
◼ Big Bird, 'small politics' - Dylan Byers/Politico
◼ The smallness of Obama’s Big Bird politics - Philip Klein/Washington Examiner



◼ Sesame Street to Obama: Take down the Big Bird ad - Charlie Spiering/Washington Examiner @CharlieSpiering

After Americans ridiculed President Obama’s new Sesame Street ad this morning, Sesame Workshop has requested the campaign to take down the ad.

“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.”

◼ Mitt Romney: "You have to scratch your head when the president spends the last week talking about saving Big Bird," he said. "I actually think we need to have a president who talks about saving the American people and saving good jobs." - Emily Schultheis/Politico