What's Connie Britton's beef with Mitt Romney?

By Liz Raftery,

Friday Night Lights creator Peter Berg openly criticized Mitt Romney earlier this month for using the show's slogan "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" on the campaign trail. Now, star Connie Britton and executive producer Sarah Aubrey have followed suit.

Britton and Aubrey together penned a column for USA Today slamming Romney's use of the phrase and saying he represents the opposite of everything the show stood for.

"The show wasn't just about football," they wrote. "And 'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose' wasn't just about winning games. Rather, it was a rallying cry of hope and optimism in a community where everyone had a fair shot -- no matter their background, no matter their parents, no matter their gender. And no matter their politics. So it has been surprising that the phrase has been usurped and co-opted by Mitt Romney and his campaign for their gain. And it got us thinking: What would the women of Dillon think about this?"

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Britton and Aubrey go on to praise President Obama's Affordable Care Act, his support of Planned Parenthood, and his signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act granting equal pay for women, citing examples of how each policy was represented in the show.

"This law makes it possible for women such as ... Tami Taylor to fight for the same wages as men no matter what they do or where they live, from Dillon to Philadelphia, where Tami was able to pursue her dream job as a college admissions counselor," the letter stated. "Brian 'Smash' Williams' mom worked [at Planned Parenthood], Tami got a pregnancy test there, and, after being abandoned by her parents, Becky Sproles was able to get a safe and legal abortion there."

It remains to be seen whether the Romney campaign will heed the request from the Friday Night Lights camp to abandon using the phrase. Berg's critiques were met with a tin ear and in fact, the Romney campaign recently began selling red, white and blue bracelets emblazoned with the slogan. It's also worth noting that Buzz Bissinger, who wrote the book on which the movie and TV series were based, has endorsed Romney.

But it's clear who Britton and Aubrey will be voting for next Tuesday.

"As women, let's take "Clear Eyes, Full Hearts" back and use it as it was always intended -- as a motivator for progress, power, and greatness," they wrote. "Let's use our clear eyes and full hearts to vote early. Let's use our clear eyes and full hearts to tell every friend, family member and neighbor about what's at stake for women in this election. What's at stake for all of us. If we women make ourselves aware of the issues and make our voices heard, we most certainly cannot lose."Do you think Romney should stop using the phrase?

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Connie Britton Peter Berg Buzz Bissinger Mitt Romney Friday Night Lights Sarah Aubrey View the original article on TVGuide.com