Feb 4, 2016 3 min read

Phil Connors, the grumpy, fictional weatherman in the movie “Groundhog Day,” often referred to the groundhog in Punxsutawney with whom he shared a name as a rodent.

That characterization has another (real) Pennsylvanian upset. State Rep. Peter Daley, D-California, has lambasted Weather Channel meteorologist Stephanie Abrams for her “sarcastic, repeated use of the word rodent in reference to Punxsutawney Phil,” the prognosticating groundhog who did not see his shadow and thusly forecast an early spring, during Tuesday’s broadcast.

“How dare she belittle a time-honored tradition in Pennsylvania,” Daley said when reached by phone and asked if he was serious about a letter he sent to Abrams asking for an apology.

“It was in her 7 a.m. live coverage, and it was disgusting. She took a negative tone on something that’s very festive, saying, ‘Oh he’s just a rodent, what does he know?’ It was kind of beneath her to do that; to editorialize and put a negative spin from a national outlet on something that is very positive,” Daley said.

Daley was so serious that accompanying a press release was a copy of the letter he sent to Abrams.

“Your negativity was appalling and demonstrated your ignorance toward this popular American tradition, the people of Pennsylvania, and the loyal viewers of the Weather Channel. With that said, I am requesting you publicly apologize for your remarks,” said an excerpt of the letter.

“Of course she can’t apologize to Phil,” Daley said in a telephone interview, “but she should surely apologize to the borough of Punxsutawney.”

Daley was particularly upset with Abrams’ usage of the phrase, “you know, it’s just a rodent.”

“Phil is ‘just a rodent’ as much as the Grand Canyon is just a ditch, the pierogi just a snack and the Pittsburgh Steelers just another football team,” he said in the news release, and took a dig at Abrams’ alma mater, the University of Florida, whose mascot is an alligator. “You don’t diss Phil without risking payback about the societal value of Florida alligators, whose claim to fame seemingly is making poodles disappear,” Daley said.

An emailed statement from The Weather Channel on Abrams’ behalf said she and the network “have nothing but respect for Punxsutawney Phil and all rodents including Mickey Mouse, Speedy Gonzales and Stuart Little. We encourage anyone and everyone – no matter their level of fur – to learn more about the world around them and explore weather sciences.”

For the record, a groundhog, also known a woodchuck, or whistlepig, is technically classified as a rodent of the animal family Sciuridae, which is the same family that includes ground squirrels, and all are also known as marmots, according to the Smithsonian Institution.