The woman who founded the Children’s Television Workshop, which created Sesame Street, is a maxed-out contributor to the Obama campaign and a significant donor to the Obama-backing Priorities USA Super PAC, campaign finance records show.
Joan Ganz Cooney contributed the the maximum $35,800 to the Obama campaign and Democratic National Committee, plus an additional $30,400 that could be distributed by the "Obama Victory Fund" to state parties. She then gave $50,000 to the Priorities USA Super PAC that is backing Obama's re-election.
Additionally, records show that Cooney gave $30,800 to the Democratic National Committee Services Corporation in 2011 and 2012 and $30,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2011.
With the Obama campaign in overdrive protecting Big Bird from attack from the Romney campaign — see today's ad — there's at least one donor who is certainly happy to see the quick-footed reaction from Chicago.
Records show that she also had maxed out to Obama in his first campaign — after initially backing both Sen. Chris Dodd and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's runs.
Michael Petrelis first noted some of Cooney's contributions earlier today.