NBC to restore SNL bailout skit

NBC is going to restore a Democrat-skewering "Saturday Night Live" sketch to its Web site Tuesday after yanking it down due to content concerns.

The sketch mocked Golden West Financial founders Herbert and Marion Sandler for their role in the subprime mortgage market meltdown, as well as featured an unflatteringly portrayal of philanthropist George Soros. The sketch was embraced by conservatives for appearing to blame Democrats for the Wall Street meltdown.

At one point in the sketch, President Bush (played by SNL regular Jason Sudeikis) says, "Wasn't it my administration that warned about the problem six years ago and it was Democrats who refused to listen?"

NBC's removal of the sketch without explanation Monday caused uproar among some viewers, who flooded the network with calls and e-mails, believing the sketch's right-leaning stance must have prompted the media outlet to censor its message.

But sources say the real reason for the removal was a faux C-SPAN ticker line that ran across the bottom of the screen during the skit reading "people who should be shot" and listed the Sandlers. Needless to say, network lawyers prefer that shows refrain from making on-air death threats.

"Upon review, we caught certain elements in the sketch that didn't meet our standards," an NBC statement said. "We took it down and made some minor changes and it will be back online soon."

The edited version after the jump.

Edited: