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CNN Live At Daybreak

Famous 'Sesame Street' Character Traveled All the Way to Capitol Hill

Aired April 24, 2002 - 05:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Puppetry mixed with politics when a famous "Sesame Street" character traveled all the way to Capitol Hill, Elmo. Yes, Elmo appeared at a congressional hearing to stress the importance of music education for children and to push for more federal funding.

CNN national correspondent Bruce Morton reports on the puppet turned political activist.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELMO: And Elmo hopes when Elmo goes to school there'll be instruments for Elmo to play.

JOE LAMOND, MUSICAL IT SEEMS TO ME TRADE MAKERS ASSOCIATION: And I think Elmo, in many ways, speaks for children everywhere, that music learning starts in that preschool age and that it really does help prepare children to learn more in school.

BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And it means the hearing may get on TV. Elmo is very famous, a speaking part on "Sesame Street" starting in 1984. He's an old 3-year-old, and, of course, the hottest selling toy of the 1996 Christmas season. Remember Tickle Me Elmo?

Is this a first, a moppet witness at a hearing? Well, maybe. Famous people have come to "Sesame Street." That's Barbara Bush. And this was a nutrition event outside the Capitol. That's House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt. And Barney and a friend dropped by. But that's not a hearing, quite. And Elmo is something of a Washington insider now. He was at an education event at the White House earlier this month.

ELMO: Bunting's the best thing to do.

MORTON: And since he is so inside, we asked for his reaction to the big news of the day, senior White House Aide Karen Hughes' resignation to go back to Texas.

ELMO: But that's wonderful. That means her children are very, very, very important to her, even more important than the president. That's wonderful. Elmo loves you very much, Ms. Karen, and you're a wonderful mother. MORTON: Isn't that about what the president said?

Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: There's something about that laugh that gets to me.

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