"Looks like you just earned the 20 million dollars."

September 7, 2011 1:01 PM

"Looks like you just earned the 20 million dollars." In 1969, the US Senate held hearings about funding for the newly formed Corporation for Public Broadcasting. A $20 million grant, previously proposed by President Lyndon Johnson, was in jeopardy. President Richard Nixon, now in office, wanted that amount cut in half. Fred Rogers (yes, that Fred Rogers) spoke directly to committee chairman Sen. Pastore, gave him goosebumps, and, in so doing, won the day. [transcript]
posted by ocherdraco (12 comments total)

I think this might be a double (although maybe just in comments), but it doesn't matter because it is literally one of the greatest things I have ever seen in my life.
posted by Bookhouse at 1:04 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Double, but still very moving.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 1:06 PM on September 7, 2011

Wrong time to mention The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny? Ok, moving on...
posted by RolandOfEld at 1:12 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Mr Rogers, Hero
posted by shothotbot at 1:13 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I would pay to see a Mr. Rogers vs. Michele Bachmann hearing.
posted by benzenedream at 1:13 PM on September 7, 2011

I remember watching a 90s version of Candid Camera where they went to the hotel of the TV Critics and informed them that the TVs were broken the idea being that they all needed the TVs to do their work. Fred Rogers, a guest of the TCA, was perfectly okay with it and with his acceptance of the issue (he didn't watch TV much, if at all) it busted the gag.
posted by inturnaround at 1:14 PM on September 7, 2011

There's something in my eye, and it's a very good feeling.
posted by swift at 1:14 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

I sure miss Mr. Rogers.
posted by theredpen at 1:15 PM on September 7, 2011

Thank you for posting this. We so much need people like him not just "now more than ever," but for every generation.
posted by not_on_display at 1:16 PM on September 7, 2011

No one has ever seemed as genuine to me as Mr. Rogers. And few people cared about me more than he did, and he never met me.

Wish there were more of him.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:17 PM on September 7, 2011

Yes it's a double from five years ago, but personally I would be in favor of making this a required FPP once a year (perhaps on Mr. Rogers' birthday?).

Also that Tom Junod piece is really nice. I love you, Mr. Rogers.

.
posted by Doleful Creature at 1:17 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]

Now I'm having that sadness all over again where I think about how Mr. Rogers is gone and never coming back. He'd say my feeling that is okay, and that just makes me more sniffly.

(If you guys make a post about Jim Henson next I will lose it entirely.)
posted by cmyk at 1:18 PM on September 7, 2011 [3 favorites]