Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe Cannon is going to be on the airways, starting one of the earliest TV campaign blitzes anyone can remember.

Cannon leads among Republicans in early Deseret News/KSL-TV polls, and he obviously wants to stay there.Monday he started running 90- and 30-second spots on the major regular TV and cable stations. He is also sending more than 3,000 10-minute videocassettes to current and potential state Republican delegates. The TV spots talk about how Cannon saved Geneva Steel, rode bicycles across America in 1964 with his father and brothers and is a leader who will get things done and foil the ruling elite in Washington, D.C.

The 10-minute video goes into some depth about his role at Geneva - including gushing testimonials by workers who appreciate his management style and their paychecks.

It gives a history of the Cannon family, talking about the bicycle trip that Cannon made in 1964 and his ride with his three oldest sons from Logan to St. George last summer after announcing his candidacy.

The video also talks about how Geneva Steel adopted an elementary school in Orem, providing computers and a better learning environment.

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Said Cannon, "Running for office means some self-promotion and this is a bit uncomfortable for me, but you just have to be on TV."

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