Two separate exchanges here. First, Piers Morgan asks Rick Santorum if Big Bird should be killed. Santorum says he's voted to do so in the past before saying, "you can kill things and still like them." The next exchange involves Newt Gingrich who says "Big Bird will be fine" and then flips the coin by saying we "should liberate Big Bird from the bureaucracy".
Big Bird is definitely having a 'Joe the Plumber' moment by being mentioned in a debate.