NBC Delighted By SNL Mocking GOP Over Government Shutdown

On Monday, the hosts of NBC's Today eagerly played clips of Saturday Night Live bashing Republicans over the government shutdown. In the morning show's 7 a.m. ET half hour, fill-in co-host Tamron Hall played a clip of SNL host Miley Cyrus doing a parody music video blaming the GOP for the shutdown and gushed: "I think she [Cyrus] might become a member of the five-timers club. You know, the group of hosts who've hosted five times." [Listen to the audio [1]]

At the top of the 9 a.m. ET hour, co-host Willie Geist touted: "7th day now of the shutdown. Let's look at the bright side, the SNL side, how they handled it....Weekend Update...had an interesting take on the shutdown's winners and losers." A clip played of SNL cast member Seth Myers ranting: "Loser, John Boehner. I feel sorry for you buddy. It's exhausting watching you trying to maintain your dignity while wrangling those Tea Party maniacs. You're like Seinfeld if they're were thirty Kramers."

In another clip, Myers joked: "Winner, Canada. Senator Ted Cruz was born in Canada. So while we were worried about Iran, China, and North Korea, a Canadian shut down the U.S. government. Well played, Canada." The headline on screen read: "Blame Canada?; SNL's Take on Government Shutdown."

A clip was also featured of SNL cast member Cecily Strong mildly poking fun at the ObamaCare roll-out: "Loser, the ObamaCare website. Which had technical issues all week because of too much web traffic. You can't campaign on the fact that millions don't have health care and then be surprised that millions don't have health care. How could you not be ready? That's like 1-800-Flowers getting caught off guard by Valentine's Day."

Here is a full transcript of the October 7 segment at the top of the 9 a.m. ET hour:

9:03AM ET

WILLIE GEIST: Shutdown continues today.

NATALIE MORALES: Here we go.

GEIST: This is becoming an old story. 7th day now of the shutdown. Let's look at the bright side, the SNL side, how they handled it.

AL ROKER: There you go.

GEIST: Weekend Update with Seth Myers and Cecily Strong had an interesting take on the shutdown's winners and losers.

[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Blame Canada?; SNL's Take on Government Shutdown]

SETH MYERS: Loser, John Boehner. I feel sorry for you buddy. It's exhausting watching you trying to maintain your dignity while wrangling those Tea Party maniacs. You're like Seinfeld if they're were 30 Kramers.

CECILY STRONG: Loser, the ObamaCare website. Which had technical issues all week because of too much web traffic. You can't campaign on the fact that millions don't have health care and then be surprised that millions don't have health care. How could you not be ready? That's like 1-800-Flowers getting caught off guard by Valentine's Day.

MYERS: Winner, Canada. Senator Ted Cruz – Senator Ted Cruz was born in Canada. So while we were worried about Iran, China, and North Korea, a Canadian shut down the U.S. government. Well played, Canada.

GEIST: I love the 1-800-Flowers line by Cecily. That's a great line.

By the way, the Pentagon on Saturday said it would call most of it's 350,000 furloughed civilian workers back to their jobs, concluding that a recent law allows officials to consider them critical to protecting national security.

A lot of these people furloughed now are going to get back pay. Congress did the right thing in one case, at least, and voted – voted for that.