Gordon Smith is often considered a moderate republican,but his anti-choice policies are very conservative. He has voted twice to include fetuses as separate victims in felonies. He doesn’t believe that female service members should be able to pay for an abortion, (with their own money), at their local, military hospital. He has sympathized with violent, anti-abortion activists by allowing them to file for bankruptcy to avoid paying federal fines. Gordon Smith may be moderate on other issues, but he votes conservatively on all issues concerning women’s bodies.

One issue that has been receiving much attention over the past four years and during the primary season is same-sex marriage. The issue, according to senator Smith, is also extremely important at the state level. Senator Gordon Smith’s statements that he has made about his position on gay marriage over the past month have been vague at best. Though Smith did vote in favor of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act of 2007, he gave a very wary interview with the Oregonian earlier this month. In response to a question asked about his support of the federal ban on gay marriage, Smith went on a long-winded and completely pointless verbal journey about his Mormon roots and about his own monogamous family life. His comments and the combined use of polygamy and gay marriage to describe his discomfort with taboos angered gay and lesbian-rights activists. The following week Smith apologized publicly, saying that he did not mean to offend anyone or link polygamy to same-sex marriage. Unfortunately, the rift is too great to be bridged and it seems progressive civil rights activists have withdrawn any remaining support for the muddled Smith.

Oregonians should vote for Jeff Merkley. Sen. Smith has served two terms and touts himself as a moderate. But the reality is he votes with Republicans over 70% of the time. Smith understands the political climate in Oregon has been shifting to the left in recent years. This is why he has sided with Democrats in setting a timetable for withdrawal in Iraq and why he boasts of working with Sen. Obama on energy issues. But don’t be fooled, Smith is opposed to abortion and favors the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, just like his Republican colleagues.

Just last Saturday Senator Smith made an announcement to all and sundry (most notably those outside of his GOP) that he will be approving a universal health care bill that Senator Ron Wyden (D) has been trying to get passed. The bill, in a nutshell, will enact legislation to provide for universal health care for all Americans. So, ostensibly, Smith’s action could be applauded. However, the problem is that, in years when Smith has not been elected into the senate, he has voted against bills that would provide health care to the 50,000 Native Americans who live in Oregon. He has also voted against legislation that would give funding to organizations that perform abortions (2007) and voted with Bush in 2000 against funding for SCHIP and Medicaid to cover uninsured children. Now that Bush’s numbers have tanked, Smith is looking into progressive legislation to redeem himself.

In terms of foreign policy and US assistance abroad, Merkley has made it clear that one of his primary focuses will be to alleviate global poverty and to help put an end to nuclear combat. He chooses to see the issues abroad as not just American roadblocks for our economy and veterans but as a global issue. He is very well rounded in terms of global politics and uses knowledge he gathered working as Presidential fellow with the Department of Defense in conjunction with knowledge he gathered studying and working abroad in places like Uganda to make balanced decisions. Merkley has opposed the war in Iraq from the very beginning, citing the possibilities (and realities) for economic and global relations destruction in the US. Considering that the Bush administration’s health care legislation left the funding for veteran health care $1 billion short, it is obvious that resources for continuing US military efforts abroad must be addressed as second to the care of those who require it upon returning in the nearby future. Doing this and providing universal health care to all Americans who require decent care at low costs is a primary objective for Merkley. Check this out!

Just yesterday, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) was indicted for not publicly disclosing thousands of dollars in services to renovate his house. He also accepted over 250,000 in gifts from private corporations. Senator Gordon Smith has, in the past accepted $39,000 in contributions from Senator Stevens, and in turn has made a PAC donation to the Alaskan senator of $10,000. Jeff Merkley gave a statement yesterday, ordering Smith to donate the money to charity.

From www.jeffmerkley.com:

"Ted Stevens has been indicted on very serious ethical charges,” Merkley said. “These charges cast an ethical cloud on money he raised from oil companies and others, some of which he passed on to Gordon Smith."

"Senator Smith should donate these contributions to charities to help provide health insurance to Oregon children."

Merkley has been called a boy scout in the past. Is this just another stick-it-to-the-other-guy tactic?

To add to the above point, Smith seems to have adopted the notion that Barack Obama supports him and that he helped Obama orchestrate environmentally related legislature. Obama, however, insists that this is simply not so. From CNN Obama spokesperson, Bill Burton:

"...in this race, Oregonians should know that Barack Obama supports Jeff Merkley for Senate. Merkley will help Obama bring about the fundamental change we need in Washington."

Merkley is the obvious choice for left-wing progressive Obama to take under his wing. And, given that Obama's approval rating is 9 points over McCain's according to the Rasmussen Reports of July, one could naturally see how Smith is desperate to link himself with the progressive leader. However, the amount he has already distanced himself from his GOP first by condemning the war and now by applauding Obama doesn't bode well for keeping the republican's campaign afloat.

To further the last argument, Barack Obama has explicitly stated that he supports Jeff Merkley and that Merkley will help him make the necessary change in Washington that needs to be made. In a New York Times article Bill Burton, has said this quote, “Barack Obama has a long record of bipartisan accomplishment and we appreciate that it is respected by his Democratic and Republican colleagues in the Senate” as well as saying this, “But in this race, Oregonians should know that Barack Obama supports Jeff Merkley for Senate. Merkley will help Obama bring about the fundamental change we need in Washington”. These quotes further demonstrate that Obama whole heartedly support Merkley, his ideals for change, and is confident that he will bring this change not only to his own state yet to all American people by extending his fight to Washington.

Gordon Smith has been criticized for his conflicting views on the War in Iraq. He had an ad campaign where he expressed his views stating that since the beginning that he has been against the war in Iraq. Yet his words are untrue. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, David Wu, Darlene Hooley, and Peter DeFazio have challenged him on his claims. Representative Earl Blumenauer points out that “it was outrageous that Gordon Smith made the claims that he was one of the first to stand up against the Iraq war when in fact he was one of the last.” In October of 2002 he voted to go to war in Iraq, and between that time and 2006 his vote remained the same to support the war, maintain troop levels, and continue funding. It was not until the Democrats took over both the House and the Senate that he then decided to go against the war. Can you rely on a representative that is unclear and contradictory in his position?

Jeff Merkely has been clear since the beginning on his position on the War in Iraq.

The above comment is devoid of any facts. It would be your perception and opinion to state that "going against your political party is a strength". In the evidence presented above, all four representatives challenged Gordon Smith's ad that "stated" that he was against going into the War in Iraq. One point that I think others are trying to stress in addition to my above point is that Gordon Smith continually votes congruent to his own party leaving the voice of the people he serves out of the equation. The reason we put people in office is to represent our views and opinions and trust that they will hold high all of the essential ingredients outlined in our bill of rights and our constitution.

In fact, there was no sufficient evidence that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq where war could have been an option later if were we to find sufficient evidence.

Check out the below video... it's pretty informative.

Gordon Smith is not very forthcoming on the issues. His website only devotes between two and four sentences to explain where he stands on each issue. He practically refuses to elaborate and he makes it difficult for voters to understand who he is as a candidate. Only the most dedicated voter is going to go to the trouble of digging up his voting record in the senate, which is what they’ll have to do because he won’t declare how he feels on the issues that matter to Oregonians. On the other hand, Jeff Merkley’s website is exhaustive in its details and plans.

The Bush administration recently proposed a plan intended to change the way that the federal government decides whether or not to protect certain plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act.

While Gordon partially supports the plan as an efficient strategy to balance the protection of jobs as well as the endangered plants and animals, Merkley staunchly rejects the President's plan as a move to weaken the Endangered Species Act in order to supplement a declining job market and ailing economy at the expense of endangered plants and animals in addition to the land and ecosystems they inhabit.

Senator Smith is both a Mormon and a McCain supporter, two factors that by themselves could be a liability against his main opponent. His seat could also be in trouble if voters decide that three terms is too long for him. Polls show him having some trouble with keeping a steady lead. Merkley, a critic of the Bush administration like most Democrats, can easily use the resignation of Alberto Gonzales as a sign that his calls to impeach him were heard.

The battle for U.S. Senate is on between Oregon’s Speaker of the House, Jeff Merkley (D) and Senator Gordon Smith (R), and one couldn’t have chosen two more different candidates. Let’s talk environment. Merkley stands firmly behind Barack Obama and has essentially the same plan for renewable energy as the Democratic candidate. Even the numbers match. Like Barack’s federal energy proposal, Merkley wants to establish a renewable energy source steady enough to ensure 25% of Oregon’s electrical needs by 2025. Merkley also wants to expand business energy tax credits in Oregon in order to inspire more environmentally friendly methods of doing business. Senator Gordon also claims to have the environment on his mind, but the Oregon chapter of the Sierra club has effectively rejected his olive branch. Smith’s legacy of supporting counter-productive environmental bills presented by the Bush administration has left the entire state with a bad taste in their mouth. Though Smith, according to his website, insists that he is for “making sure Oregonians get the most out of their 1.56 billion gallons of gas they use each year,” something tells me that the past actions speak louder to impassioned voters than new promises.

Our present economy is hopelessly chained to fossil fuel. Truckers and trucking companies transporting necessities across country have been pummeled from 2007-08. 300,000 are self-employed. Private truck drivers spend $110,000 annually on fuel alone and those numbers are causing them to lose business because of growing rates. Part of Merkley's comprehensive financial plan for Oregon is to provide families in low to middle income brackets with a federal rebate check to alleviate financial stress. After all, how is the American businessman supposed to provide for his family when lack of a primary business staple threatens to drag him under?

It is true that Gordon Smith has been considered to be fairly moderate about issues such as environmental protection, and he has approved some smaller federal programs that provide housing relief to low-middle class income Oregonians. But has this been the way he has always felt? The Democratic Party of Oregon knocks Smith down for repeated inconsistencies and says that he will say whatever it takes to get him re-elected.

One of the main premises that Jeff Merkley supports is education. Education has been one of the many focuses that Merkley has focused on well before his run for US Senate. In his 2007 tenure as the Oregon Speaker of the House the legislature has passed an education budget that increased K-12 and higher education by 18 percent between 2005 and 2007. There has also been an increase in pre-kindergarten programs, an increase in funds in financial aid for full time and part time students, and an increase of investment towards community college and university facilities as well as university research. This shows that Merkley can “deliver the goods”. Parents have continually expressed concerns about the health and wellbeing of their children as well as their desires for their children to receive a quality education. Jeff Merkley wishes, in secondary eduation, to increase school resources and promote a well rounded curriculum where students not only have an academic education yet also explore their creativity.

If you believe in choice then you should vote for Jeff Merkley. Merkley has a 100% voting record on choice. He has always advocated for reproductive rights and fought to expand the availability of affordable birth control. Merkley has received endorsements from Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon because of his proven record. In the state legislature he made sure victims of sexual assault had access to emergency contraception in all emergency rooms. He also fought health insurance companies from denying women coverage for birth control. Oregonians believe in choice and so does Jeff Merkley.

Just yesterday, July 30th, Smith made an open complaint to the press and public about Merkley and other democrats spending $1.25 million dollars on new office furniture for new state lawmakers. Smith, whose numbers have been falling drastically since May of this year, says that voters should be appalled at the expenditure. However, Merkley's campaign people have labeled Smith's outburst as a desperate attempt to distract the debt limelight from himself.

Merkley's spokesman, Matt Canter: Senator Smith has driven up the national debt to more than $9 trillion through his continual nods and support for the Bush administration.

Spokesman Geoff Sugarman also added in that the furnishings were for the next 75 years and belonged to the state, not to the individual lawmakers. He also claimed that Smith erratically charged Merkley without checking his facts. For example, Smith cited a purchase order for $31,000 to re-carpet Merkley's office. That purchase, however, had never been made and was canceled.

Smith is beginning to smell of desperation. How petty do these arguments and attacks have to become? Does this prove that Merkley has the election?

Regarding education, Jeff Merkley has an entire page of his website dedicated to the subject while Gordon Smith has a mere three sentences. Merkley writes about his plan to improve education for Oregonian children. In his three sentences, Smith mentions little other than his desire to make education more affordable. Merkley wants to increase funding to public schools, teachers and the Head Start program while reducing class sizes and creating a comprehensive curriculum that includes the arts. Jeff Merkley has a plan for improving education; Gordon Smith does not.

So as of August 1st Jeff Merkley is also running as the Independent candidate for Oregon against Gordon Smith. Obviously he can't run as the candidate for two parties, but Merkley is excited to have the unofficial backing of a third party. Recently, many of us have been arguing that Smith is a moderate or an independent, not a Republican, and that he has striven to build up his credibility as a progressive. It seems that his tactics aren't working as well as he would like because the reason that the Independent party gave for backing Merkley is that he is the "true independent" candidate.

Merkley: The Right Mix of National Security and Budgeting?

Merkley has a significant background in foreign affairs. Having earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Stanford, worked with the Defense Department, Foreign Affairs Magazine, and the Congressional Budget Office make the candidate well qualified to serve on several foreign policy-related committees in Congress. Consider this portent. In a 1989 op-ed, Merkley advocated a more fiscally responsible investment in older and cheaper, but effective military technology rather than expensive, equally effective B2 stealth bombers. This type of sensibility in national defense and budgeting could serve as an asset on Capitol Hill.

Iraq Could Be a Thorny Issue for Merkley

Merkley has hammered Gordon Smith for supporting the war in Iraq and conveniently denouncing the war for political reasons. But there is a problem. Merkley could just as well be looking in the mirror when he issues this opprobrium. As a member of the Oregon House, the candidate also approved the war. His support was muted, though, with his denouncement of President Bush and his praise of the troops in a speech following his vote. Such hypocrisy could leave the two in a stalemate over voters most concerned with this issue.

Merkley: The Traditional Social and Economic Democrat

On social issues, Merkley conforms to his party’s platform. He is pro-choice, supports affirmative action for state hiring, same-sex domestic partnerships, and opposes the death penalty. The candidate also tows the line with many Democrats on economics. Merkley leans towards a protectionist position and opposes trade agreements modeled after NAFTA. He is relatively more critical of corporations such as the credit card and oil industries. As for taxes, Merkley wants to repeal an $18 billion tax break to oil companies. He deviates from his party in pledging to eliminate state sales taxes.

Merkley: The Energy and Environment Moderate-Progressive

Merkley has been slightly more specific than Smith about his goals for changes in national energy and environment policy. Like Smith, Merkley pledges to support more investment in conservation and alternative energy research. The candidate promises to set a 25% national renewable energy standard by 2025. Merkley also plans to slash national carbon emission by 80%. He plans approach the problem locally and by giving incentives to cities to reduce emission.

It looks like everyone is jumping on Gordon Smith's case for his wishy-washy party allegiances. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland), attacked Smith yesterday after viewing his new commercial, saying that Smith only stands up to Republicans when everyone is watching. Blumenauer says that Smith plays it safe, usually hanging out in the background, watching to see which way a decision will go before he says anything.

Blumenaur:

“He's not been at the forefront of the charge...he only came along when it was safe. Early in the Bush presidency when Rove controlled the White House and DeLay controlled Congress, they got too much cover from people that could have made a difference. If (Smith) could have helped four, eight, even 11 years ago, it would have meant something.”

So, according to his progressive colleagues with whom he is desperately trying to gain favor, Smith sits and waits until the road is cleared for him on issues. Doesn't sound like much of a leader, does it?

Last month strange milky waste was dripping from Gordon Smith's company, "Smith Frozen Foods" and into Pine Creek. This is an unfortunate repeat of history since it was similar spillage that lost Smith the election in 1996 for Oregon Senate. The spill could result in the company's sixth water quality penalty since '92 when a huge 15-day spill occurred that killed aquatic life in a 23-mile stretch from the plant.

When asked to comment, Smith said that he had relinquished executive overseeing since he decided to run for Senate to Lindley who insisted that the problem was being analyzed by engineers. This does not look very good for Smith's environmental campaign. Regardless of what sort of pollution it was, it is still pollution that brings skepticism to Smith's environmental actions.

Gordon Smith (R) has released a recent campaign ad highlighting his opposition to the war in Iraq. The ad attempts to portray Smith as a Senator who has significantly broken from the policies of the Bush administration and hopes to attract independent votes or perhaps even moderate Democrats. With a notable campaign purse, however, look for Smith to really push this image more and more to Oregon voters in the months to come.

The ad opens Smith wide-open for the obvious Merkley attack. According to political analyst Jim Moore:

“Merkley and the national Democrats have made the argument that Smith is a johnny-come-lately to the issue — that even though he has converted to being against the war, he keeps voting for funding the war. So it leaves him open for attacks or clarifications."

Regardless, as this general election quickens its pace into November, Republican nominees are scraping (even those with reputable standings in the polls and hefty sponsorship) to redefine themselves apart from the "brand" of the last 8 years. The edge, in this regard, seems to be falling into the lap of Democrats who can catch the ears of potential voters with claims of consistency in their opposition to the Iraq war, a literal ace-in-the-hole in the popular political discourse it seems along with the wellspring of talking points regarding the state of our economy.

Both of the Oregon Senate candidates, Gordon Smith (R) and Jeff Merkley (D), have issued statements today declaring their support for the Bush Administration's recent assistance to help bail out the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

While most (perhaps all) more fiscally conservative Republicans are grumbling at the federal bailout for these two companies, Smith's support is consistent with other more moderate stances he's become known for in the past (many of which are noted on his side of this debate.)

Both Merkley and Smith insist that the mortgage industry needs significant and aggressive reforms. Merkley argues that these reforms need to be targeting consumer protection "from bad mortgages and financial scams."

Jeff Merkley (D) is taking issue with Gordon Smith's (R) indecision both with the $700 billion bailout Bush is pushing to rescue the mortgage giants from bottoming out and the "blank check" he "gave" to Bush for the Iraq War, according to PolitickerOR.com.

In a recent statement, Merkley claimed, "Smith gave Bush a blank check for Iraq, and he is considering another for Wall Street."

Smith's campaign responded by pointing out the fact that, while Merkley is out making the economic crisis a political issue to boost his campaign, Smith is trying to solve it.

Nonetheless, Merkley is persistent and notes that Smith has yet to clarify his position for or against the bailout (a position that the nation's voters are increasingly divided over and is quickly becoming a major factor in these Senate and House races.)

Merkley continues, "Under Bush and Smith, there is no accountability in Washington or on Wall Street and that must change. There should be no blank check for George Bush and no blank check for Wall Street."

Things are still looking up for Jeff Merkley (D) today as two polls (one blatantly biased and the other slightly less so perhaps) have put the Democratic hopeful ahead by 5 percent points (according to the Daily Kos) and 2 percent points (according to SurveyUSA.)

As far as the extent to which the Presidential race influences these Senate elections from state to state, Merkley is in a good position to catch the strong Obama current that is moving through the state of Oregon. The same resource for the Daily Kos poll that favored Merkley records a 14 point Obama lead over McCain in Oregon. With those stats, Merkley is sitting on a sturdy advantage as the race moves into the final month of campaigning.

Senator Smith just voted for the revised Wall Street bailout, a fact that Merkley can now use to label him a neocon. But this new bill includes tax incentives, and increased spending is usually associated with Democrats. That means Merkley might have to make a tough choice about whether he wants to remain a Democrat and still retain his credibility as to why he would oppose any bailout that comes to the floor.

Merkley (D) took aim today against Sen. Smith's support of the modified bailout plan that passed in the Senate Wednesday night.

"This is what they do in Washington. They take a bad proposal and add $150 billion of sweeteners to satisfy enough people."

According to PolitickerOR.com, the new rendition of the bailout plan tagged on an addition $150 billion "in taxpayer money" that totals the bill out to a whopping $850 billion "to buy up bad debts that financial institutions have racked up."

It's a political issue and the Democratic challenger seems to have no qualms with making it one. He states, "The crisis on Wall Street and the need for a bailout is an indictment of the failed economic policies of Gordon Smith and George Bush. Their philosophy resulted in unimaginable abuses and excesses on Wall Street and now Washington is making taxpayers clean up the mess. Congress and the Administration should go back to the drawing board and come back with a proposal that prevents more economic pain for families and small businesses and meets some minimum standards to protect taxpayers and guarantee accountability on Wall Street."

Inevitably, Smith shrugged off Merkley's objections as merely "playing politics" and expressed his regret that the Democrat had "shamefully placed his partisan ambitions ahead of the retirement, financial and economic security of the people he seeks to serve and once again has demonstrated his willingness to leave Oregon’s rural communities behind."

Democrat Jeff Merkley received the support of Basic Rights Oregon, a gay rights advocacy group.

The endorsement makes sure to not overlook Republican Sen. Gordon Smith's efforts on behalf of gay rights but noted that the hate-crimes bill resultant from the hate crimes and murder committed against Matthew Shepard (which Smith supported) failed to pass.

The final straw, however, came with Smith's support for Measure 36, which held the ban against same-sex marriage and sent a mixed message to the gay and lesbian voters in the state of Oregon.

According to BRO director Jeana Frazzini, "There is only one thing that fair-minded Oregonians can count on from Gordon Smith, and that is that every six years, he will roll out a hate crimes advertisement in the Portland media

market in an effort to look like a moderate. But most national and local gay organizations know the truth about Gordon Smith, and that's why they decline to endorse him.''

In contrast to Smith, Merkley has effectively passed both an anti-discriminatory bill and an approval of domestic unions in the state.

Numbers are in Merkley's Favor

A New York Times article insinuates that if every Democrat and Republican in Oregon were to vote for their respective candidates, Merkley would come out on top.

"At the end of last year, Oregon had about 756,000 registered Democrats and 686,000 Republicans. There are now about 894,000 Democrats and 677,000 Republicans, with much of the increase in Democrats driven by voters wanting to support Mr. Obama in the presidential primary in May."

The article illustrates Sen. Smith as the most extreme defector from the Republican party in an election that has seen a number of Republican incumbents distancing themselves from their party. However, it is not certain how many voters from either party will switch sides or if Smith's attempt to run to the center will appeal to independents.