Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum on Thursday suggested that Big Bird’s death at the hands of GOP hopeful Mitt Romney didn’t have to be in vain because the Sesame Street character could be suitable for “eating.”

During Wednesday night’s presidential debate Romney had told moderator Jim Lehrer, “I like PBS. I love Big Bird. I actually like you, too. But I’m not gonna keep on spending money on things to borrow from China to pay for.”

CNN host Piers Morgan asked Santorum on Thursday if he would also “kill Big Bird.”

 “Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve voted to kill Big Bird,” Santorum replied proudly. “That doesn’t mean I don’t like Big Bird. You can kill things and still like them. I mean, maybe to eat them.”