Heck, Bilbray kids center stage in TV ads
The race between Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., and his Democratic opponent, Erin Bilbray, is playing out like an episode of “Family Feud” with lots of laughs and smiles.
That’s the impression you get after watching the contenders’ latest TV commercials — Bilbray’s first and Heck’s second. They’re both positive 30-second spots featuring their children talking about how great mom and dad are.
The Bilbray ad, titled “fighter,” stars her 12-year-old daughter, Caroline, who gets up at 5 a.m. to work out because she wants to be a Navy fighter pilot when she grows up. She does sit-ups and runs before breakfast.
“I get up early every day,” she said. “That’s what my mom taught me if I want to be a Navy jet fighter pilot.”
Then she turns to politics.
“My mom, Erin Bilbray, is running for Congress to help our community — like when she and dad started a free clinic to take care of kids,” Caroline says.
Then a picture of her grandfather in uniform appears.
“She’ll protect veterans, making it illegal to cut their benefits,” Caroline says.
Bilbray, a longtime political activist who started an organization to train women Democrats to run for office, then has her daughter say that political parties don’t matter, a new message for Bilbray’s campaign as the Nov. 4 general election approaches. Bilbray also is Nevada’s Democratic committeewoman, a position in the national party.
Nonetheless, Caroline says, “Mom says it shouldn’t matter what party you belong to.”
Then she heads to the breakfast counter to join her parents and her little sister, Daisy, 8.
“My mom lives by the rule,” Caroline says, and Bilbray picks up the line: “Never make a promise you can’t keep.”
Daisy rolls her eyes, “I knew you would say that,” prompting laughter all around.
The TV spot — which can be seen here http://youtu.be/S1YRsTOygcU — is running for two weeks on cable TV — at a cost of $153,252, according to the Bilbray campaign.
Heck’s ad also stars his children, daughters Monica and Chelsea and son Joey, who sit together, talking directly to the camera. Monica notes the family’s life changed when Heck became a congressman. He’s running for a third term.
“But he’s the same guy he’s always been,” says Chelsea.
Then each of the children talk about various aspects of Heck’s life, holding photographs up to illustrate their points.
Joey holds up a picture of Heck, an Army Reserve officer, in uniform while serving a tour in Iraq.
“As a veteran he fights to improve the lives of our American heroes returning from battle,” Joey says.
Chelsea shows a picture of Heck, a physician, in his white hospital jacket.
“He saved lives in Iraq and right here at home,” Chelsea says.
And Monica emphasizes Heck the family man.
“The values he teaches us — faith, family and community — are the same values he takes to Washington,” Monica says. “That’s why we love him and he’s a great congressman.”
The spot ends with Heck, his wife and kids sharing pizza in the kitchen, all smiles.
The new TV ad, which can be seen here — http://youtu.be/TqHePmEoZx0 — is running for two weeks on both cable and broadcast television at a cost of just under $200,000, according to his campaign.
The contest for the 3rd Congressional District in Southern Nevada is the most competitive among the state’s four congressional seats because it’s evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats. But Heck is considered the favorite to win re-election, according to analysts, as Bilbray struggles to gain traction.
— Laura Myers
YUCCA FLAME STILL DIM
Nevada leaders last month set aside $1.4 million to continue battling the Yucca Mountain program. But in Washington, the head of the agency charged with evaluating the controversial nuclear waste site indicated last week the issue sits on the far back burner.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is under court order to continue working toward a final decision on Yucca, at least until a dwindling sum in the agency’s nuclear waste fund runs out. Accordingly, analysts are finalizing volumes of safety studies, preparing a supplement to a groundwater impact statement and cataloguing thousands of documents into the NRC’s electronic library.
Of $13.5 million remaining in the Yucca Mountain fund, about $6 million has been spent so far. The NRC estimates the tasks will consume about $10 million total, according to a monthly report issued Aug. 26.
Whatever dollars will be left over are nowhere near the millions that would be needed to reach a formal decision whether the site 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas would be safe to store highly radioactive material. The process includes drawn-out legal proceedings in which administrative judges would weigh more than 300 technical challenges that have already been filed on site safety, with probably more to come.
It remains to be seen what the NRC’s next step might be, a point that could come in the spring. At an Energy Daily gathering with reporters last week, NRC Chairman Allison Macfarlane gave no clues, saying she was not certain herself.
“Don’t know, we’ll have to see,” Macfarlane said. “It’s something we have to constantly check in about.”
Macfarlane said she is satisfied the NRC is complying with the court order, the result of a lawsuit charging the agency prematurely halted its work after the Obama administration in 2009 dropped support for Yucca Mountain as a nuclear site.
Judges “said continue the license process with the funds available, so that’s what we’re doing,” Macfarlane said, adding it would be difficult to move forward in any case because the Department of Energy wants to withdraw as the project applicant. Once the nuclear waste fund is exhausted, so would the NRC’s role.
In Carson City, however, Nevada officials believe they still must prepare to see the Yucca project through to the end — or to remain vigilant if by some eventuality the program is resurrected.
“We have to look at this very seriously,” said Bob Halstead, director of the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects.
State officials are guessing NRC could have between $1 million and $3 million left over after its ongoing tasks are completed. That might be enough money to initiate the next phase of legal proceedings, if not to complete them.
— Steve Tetreault
BAD FEELINGS IN NEW JERSEY
While Nevada basked in the glow of winning the $5 billion Tesla Motors’ battery plant, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and others debated the future of the Boardwalk’s gaming market.
A source in Christie’s office said New Jersey had early discussions with Tesla representatives a year ago about locating the plant in the Garden State.
One problem existed, however: New Jersey’s law banning direct sales of cars unless they were handled by an auto franchise dealer. New Jersey is one of 48 states which ban or in some way limit direct car sales.
The governor’s office told Tesla leaders to bring the matter up with the New Jersey Legislature. Get a bill passed that allows Tesla to bypass auto dealers, and Christie would happily sign the legislation.
But, according to the source, Tesla never moved forward with the legislation and blamed Christie for inaction. Those comments incensed the governor.
This might be the last time Tesla representatives ever set foot across New Jersey state lines.
— Howard Stutz
Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj. Contact Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Find him on Twitter: @howardstutz. Contact Stephens Washington Bureau Chief Steve Tetreault at stetreault@stephensmedia.com or 202-783-1760. Find him on Twitter: @STetreaultDC.
