Today there is another ad from Gordon Smith about working with another democrat. Everyone heard of his ad mentioning Sen. Obama, now it’s Sen. Kerry. Smith says, “what matters is helping people, not who gets the credit.” Smith seems to be running more as a democrat than even a moderate.

It does. In fact on Gordon Smith’s website it doesn’t mention republicans or the GOP. But there is a whole section on “Democrats for Smith” that mention his democratic endorsements and his ability to work with democrats. Including, federal funding for stem cell research, opposing cuts to Medicaid, expanding SCHIP, promoting green energy and making mortgage insurance tax deductible for low-income Oregonians. In addition to his work with Sen. Kerry on housing reform, protecting Oregon wilderness with Sen. Wyden and co-sponsoring legislation with Sen. Obama for the first increase in automobile fuel economy standards in 20 years.

To Gordon Smith’s credit he does want to withdraw troops from Iraq and it was commendable that he broke with his party’s policy in 2006. However, the people of Oregon would say the vote to authorize the war in 2003 was “important”. At the time thousands of Oregonians protested the decision to invade Iraq and disagreed with Smith’s vote. Jeff Merkley opposed the war from the beginning and spoke out about it. A senator shouldn’t be elected for balance; rather one should be elected to represent their constituents.

I just read that statistic about the National Journal. The sentence following it is very interesting. “However, Smith is described as a rank-and-file Republican by GovTrack.us, and throughout 2006 Smith voted with Republican leader Bill Frist (TN) on 82% of contentious bills, in contrast to predecessor Mark Hatfield's 55% record of agreement with party leader Trent Lott (MS) in 1996.” I would have to say 82% is not moderate and that is based on contentious bills.

Too bad Gordon Smith doesn’t believe in choice. He has voted against resolutions to protect Roe v. Wade. Smith also voted to deny funding to schools for allocating emergency contraception, including situations of incest or rape. He voted against late term abortions even to save the life of the mother. Recently Jeff Merkley and Sen. Ron Wyden have urged the Bush Administration to drop its proposal to limit access to contraception. While Smith has remained silent.

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.

Gordon Smith has fought for rural communities protecting Oregon’s fisherman, ranchers and farmers. He is a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Just last week he announced over $5 million for Oregon agriculture projects. This is why he has received the endorsement of the Oregon Farm Bureau, the largest general farm organization in the state. As a kid from Pendleton he appreciates the small towns and natural beauty of Eastern Oregon. “What some people call the rest of Oregon, we simply call home,” Smith said in one of his ads.

The Cook Report has called the race a toss up.“[T]he political climate may be Smith’s real opponent, and Merkley is simply the personification of the challenge the Republican faces. Or to put it another way, Smith could run a flawless race against a weak opponent and still lose simply because of the political environment.” Is Merkley really a strong candidate or could any democrat put up a good fight?

Speaking of Matthew Shepard, remember that in Smith’s 2002 re-election campaign he aired an ad with Judy Shepard, Matthew’s mother. At the time it was seen as a ploy to portray Smith as supportive to gay rights. But while he supported the Hate Crimes Act of 2007 he favors a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage and backed Oregon’s Measure 36 in 2004. It’s nice that Smith believes people shouldn’t be killed for being gay, but what about other basic rights?

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.