Republican incumbent Senator Gordon Smith is far from being the only candidate this election season to emphasize links to Barack Obama in an attempt to build off of the presidential campaign’s momentum. He is, however, likely the only candidate to do so in a race where Obama has endorsed the opponent.
Watch the ad here:
The ad, citing Smith’s “bi-partisan leadership for energy independence,” claims that Obama “joined with Gordon and broke through a 20 year deadlock to pass new laws which increase gas mileage for automobiles.”
Unfortunately for Smith, an Obama spokesperson responded to reaffirm the presidential candidate’s support for Council-endorsed Jeff Merkley.
“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. 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.”
Smith’s desperation isn’t unfounded. The most recent polling – taken last week by Research 2000 – shows Merkley in the lead, 47%-41%.
To check the status of all the Senate contests, take a look at Council for a Livable World’s constantly updated list of polls.
To help Jeff Merkley fight back against these ads, you can contribute here.
