February 2011 - Posts

The Super Bowl Ad We Didn’t See
Tue, Feb 8 2011 11:02 AM

This past Sunday millions of Americans tuned into watch the Green Bay Packers take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. While the vast majority were watching the gridiron, millions still tuned into watch the annual showcase of TV ads. Viewers were treated to a pint sized Darth Vader using the Force for Volkswagen and Ozzy Osbourne and Justin Bieber joining forces for Best Buy. Yet, there was one commercial that was only seen by Members of the Armed Forces serving overseas that might have the most impact. Unbeknownst to many, broadcasts on American Forces Network do not have normal TV commercials. Rather, they are shown public service announcements or other informative spots. In a departure from the norm, the Department of Defense commissioned an ad which promoted the Federal Voting Assistance Program in a unique way.

Here is what Ad Age had to say about the development of the ad and the interesting twist they added into the spot:

When military personnel get up in late at night or early in the morning to see a live broadcast of the Super Bowl, they don't actually see the funny and eye-popping ads that accompany the broadcast on home shores. Instead they see a coterie of public-service announcements and other pieces about recruitment, family services and the like.

They can have high quality, but there aren't quite as many spots as non-military consumers will see stateside. "Some of them are really, really good," said Bob Carey, director of the Federal Voting Assistance Program, "and some of them you're on the eighth or ninth time seeing them."

Mullen set out to create a public service spot that could stand alongside traditional commercials, even Super Bowl ads, said Dave Weist, a group creative director at the Boston agency. "They just asked us to think outside the box and really push what people sort of considered the level of creative for a PSA," he said.

Viewers who see the spot will be taken into the inner mechanics of what might seem to be a gun of some sort in the midst of being assembled while a narrator chants the famous "Rifleman's Creed." The mantra starts: "This is my weapon. There are many like it, but this one is mine." As Tim Vaccarino, another Mullen group creative director, put it, "You think you're inside a firearm."

But as viewers quickly discover, the weapon being put together is actually a pen, which can be used to cast a vote. "Your vote is your greatest weapon," viewers are told.

Here is the link to the ad which our Service Members saw on Sunday. It was a great look at how while they are working everyday to preserve that right, they still have the ability to have their voice heard. Of all of the ads for beer, the latest summer blockbuster, and the latest cars this ad, the one that most of us will never see most likely had the strongest impact on the political process. To us it should serve as reminder that the right to vote is one of the most basic rights that our Armed Forces are fighting for each and every day and that they need their voices heard just as loud as us back home.

by Matt Suermann | with no comments

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Sen. Orrin Hatch Helps Fellow Utahan Sen. Mike Lee Get a Seat on Senate Judiciary Committee
Tue, Feb 1 2011 3:57 PM

Late last week, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell announced the committee assignments for the 112^th Congress. With a large freshman class and only one available slot on the Committee it is truly an honor for him to be named to the Committee. Ed Whalen from National Review's Bench Memos offered the following observation on Lee, and how monumental it was for him to be given the slot:

Senate Republicans have just announced committee assignments for this new Congress, and there's excellent news for the Judiciary Committee: Newly elected senator Mike Lee of Utah—a Tea Party favorite—will join the committee as one of its eight Republicans.

Lee, a former law clerk to Justice Alito (and son of former Solicitor General Rex Lee), will bring impressive legal acumen and strong conservative principles to his new role. Plus, he's only 39, so he may be in a position to help shape the committee for decades.

A huge obstacle to Lee's joining the committee was posed by a Republican Conference rule that bars two Republicans from the same state from serving on the same committee. That rule exists for understandable reasons—among other things, there's a lot of potential for conflict and infighting if two senators from the same state are on the same committee. Waivers of the rule are quite rare.

My former boss Senator Hatch—also of Utah and a longtime member of the committee— and Republican leader Mitch McConnell deserve great credit for securing the waiver of the rule. I'm reliably informed that Hatch not only gave his own consent to waiver of the rule but that he also worked hard to persuade his fellow Republicans to do likewise. McConnell also made the matter a real priority. Heartiest thanks to both Hatch and McConnell.  

Following Whelen's praise on Hatch for agreeing to grant a waiver to allow Lee to serve on the Committee Carrie Serverino, also of Bench Memos, offered the following praise on Lee and Hatch:

Conservatives should be heartened by the Judiciary Committee assignments for the upcoming Senate. As Ed Whelan noted last week, the new Republican seat on the committee will be filled by Mike Lee of Utah. Lee is certainly well-qualified on paper — a lawyer with inside judicial experience, having clerked at the district, appellate, and Supreme Court levels, which makes him the rare individual with experience in all three levels of the federal judiciary. But it is his personal passion for the Constitution and clear understanding of the importance of judicial philosophy that will likely make him a key player on the committee in coming years, especially when another Supreme Court slot opens up.

[…]

Even more encouraging is what the committee choice tells us about the leadership and Senator Hatch, a longtime member of the committee. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Hatch was a "strong advocate" for getting Lee on the committee and was helpful in securing a waiver of the GOP rule against having two senators from the same state on the committee. Senator McConnell is also to be commended for putting a freshman in such an important position.

Assignments like this indicate that the Republican leadership was paying attention to the voters last fall and will be aggressive in promoting a genuinely conservative vision for the new Congress. Best of luck to them in their efforts to bring our government back in line with the Constitution. 

In addition to the praise from opinionists from National Review, the Committee for Justice Executive Director Curt Levy offered the following praise for Sen. Lee and being named to the Judiciary Committee:

The Committee for Justice applauds today's announcement that Sen. Mike Lee of Utah will become the newest member of the Senate Judiciary Committee. We also thank Sen. Orrin Hatch (R - Utah) for working to waive the rule that otherwise bars Senate committees from having two Republicans from the same state.

We can think of no better addition to the Judiciary Committee than Sen. Lee. His experience as both a constitutional lawyer and clerk for Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito gives him the ideal background for the job. And Lee's keen understanding of the Constitution's role in limiting federal power grabs and runaway spending makes him the perfect fit for the times.

We particularly look forward to the frank and insightful questions Sen. Lee will ask the President's judicial nominees when they come before the Judiciary Committee for hearings. There is a bipartisan consensus that many of the people renominated by the President earlier this month are too uncontroversial to merit a new hearing in the new Congress. However, any Committee member – especially new members Mike Lee and Democrat Chris Coons – should be given the opportunity, if requested, to question a particular nominee via a new hearing. 

In addition to Sen. Lee and Sen. Hatch the following Republicans will also be serving on the Judiciary Committee:

The eight Republicans on the committee will be (in the order in which the announcement lists them) Sessions, Hatch, Grassley, Kyl, Graham, Cornyn, Lee, and Coburn. Grassley will be the ranking member.

by Matt Suermann | with no comments

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