"I know from experience that radio talk show hosting is hard work," said Valentine, who has been mentioned as running in the future either for Congress or governor.

State official ethics codes are vague. To violate them, one must take some political action, like sell a vote, that would directly benefit another party. And Valentine's ad doesn't come into that sphere.

Still, no one could remember a time when a legislative leader had done any kind of personal endorsement commercial for a private firm, although Senate Minority Whip Gene Davis, D-Salt Lake, used to be a rather famous rock 'n' roll disc jockey in the 1960s and 1970s and still does some voice-over work (where he is not identified by name).

Davis left radio in 1986 when he entered politics. Most recently, Davis said, he's done voice work for Salt Lake Valley Mental Health, for whom he works, and get-out-the-vote radio ads for local unions.

"I don't do personal endorsement commercials," said Davis, who has been known at times to drop into his deep radio voice while in floor debate.

Valentine says he took no money for the ad and A-Plus certainly doesn't expect any political favors in return. His firm gets no discounts in their payments to A-Plus, either, he said.

"We talked before the script was written," Valentine said, telling A-Plus what he was comfortable saying.

"I actually recorded the spot at KSL studios. I read through it once. I read it again for any dub-overs. (Here's a guy who knows his radio lingo.) We put some soft guitar music to it, and I was out of there in 15 minutes."

Maybe a radio "personality" looking for a little more work?

"No, I don't think I'll be doing any more radio ads — now that this is out there" and some eyebrows are being raised, Valentine said in his well-modulated voice.

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Deseret Morning News political editor Bob Bernick Jr. may be reached by e-mail at bbjr@desnews.com