CNN host Wolf Blitzer and his esteemed guest Kermit the Frog both mocked Rick Perry on Thursday afternoon's The Situation Room. Kermit also said earlier on CNN that the political pundit he would like to spar with on Blitzer's show would be "Newt" from the "swamp."
At the end of the 4 p.m. hour of The Situation Room, Kermit appeared on the show to give three safety tips for the audience during the Christmas season. Blitzer admonished him to remember the third tip because it would be "embarrassing" to forget it -- a reference to GOP candidate Rick Perry in a recent debate forgetting the third federal department he would eliminate.
Kermit, of course, pretended to "forget" his third tip. "Number three – uh, what's number three, what's number three?" Kermit asked himself. "Oh, number three," he said, recovering his train of thought.
When asked by Wolf Blitzer at the end of the 1 p.m. hour who would be "would be a good counter-point for you in the Strategy Session?" Kermit responded "Well, I do have to tell you that, you know, Newt is from the swamp."
He followed that up by noting "There's other newts in the swamp too, you know," joking about the double meaning of Newt Gingrich's name and newt the lizard.
[Video below.]
A transcript of the segments, which aired on December 1 at 1:59 p.m. and 4:56 p.m. EST, is follows:
CNN
NEWSROOM
12/1/11
1:59 p.m. EST
T.J. HOLMES: But political headlines – oh, is that alright, you want to get into some politics?
KERMIT THE FROG: Well, I – if I can't answer, I simply won't. Just like all those candidates.
WOLF BLITZER: We're going to have – we're going to have Kermit one of these days – I'm predicting this, T.J. – here in the Situation Room in our strategy session, and we're going to have him go against somebody else. I don't know, would you –
KERMIT: Ohh –
BLITZER: Who do you think would be a good counter-point for you in the Strategy Session?
KERMIT: Well, I do have to tell you that, you know, Newt is from the swamp.
(Laughter)
KERMIT: There's other newts in the swamp too, you know.
BLITZER: The next time I interview him, maybe you'll join me in the questioning.
KERMIT: You bet I will.
BLITZER: That would generate some excitement.
CNN
THE SITUATION ROOM
12/1/11
4:56 p.m. EST
KERMIT THE FROG: Well folks, breaking news. At Christmastime, sometimes bad stuff can happen if you're not careful.
WOLF BLITZER: Like what?
KERMIT: Well, like for instance, my friends at Underwriters Laboratory have given me a list of safety tips for your home during the Christmas season.
BLITZER: Alright, this is big.
KERMIT: Very, very important.
BLITZER: How many tips are there?
KERMIT: Well, there are at least three. I'm only going to give you the Christmas tree ones.
BLITZER: Alright. Can you remember those three tips?
KERMIT: I can. I can, because they're important and they're easy to remember.
BLITZER: Number one, number two and then number three –
KERMIT: Yes.
BLITZER: But it would be embarrassing if you can't remember number three.
KERMIT: Hmm. Well okay, I got it. I got it. I think I got it.
BLITZER: Go ahead.
KERMIT: Number one – I forgot it already.
BLITZER: No –
KERMIT: I'm only kidding. Number one. Water your Christmas tree every single day.
BLITZER: Alright, that's important.
KERMIT: Do not let it go by, water your Christmas tree. Number two, and this is very important, very important. Do not keep that live Christmas tree for more than four weeks even if you water it, because they dry out and it can be a fire hazard.
BLITZER: Really?
KERMIT: Yes, and it can be a situation.
BLITZER: Wow.
KERMIT: Number three – uh, what's number three, what's number three? Oh, number three, and this is very important – make sure you check those Christmas lights that you put on that tree, because they get hot.
