DSCC releases ad attacking Smith’s record in Senate

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee weighed in on the ad war going on between Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley and U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith for the first time in the general election on Tuesday by releasing a new television ad of its own accusing Smith of voting for tax relief for oil companies and wealthy Americans.

“Gordon Smith knows he can’t run on his record of supporting George Bush’s failed policies, so he’s resorted to negative personal attacks,” DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said. “Oregonians aren’t fooled by Gordon Smith’s slick ads – they’re turned off by his election year makeover.”

The ad, which is paid for by the DSCC, comes at a time when Smith has been trying to distance himself from the President Bush.  After Smith released two ads attacking Merkley’s voting record on taxes in the Oregon House, the DSCC wasted little time before attacking back at Smith for his voting record in the Senate, including voting for President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy  and for big oil

“Gordon Smith is desperate, but his false attacks won’t stop the momentum Jeff Merkley is building across Oregon,” Miller said.

The ad is also allowing the Merkley camp to stay above the fray of what they have said is Smith’s strategy of running the most negative campaign ads in the country. But, as Smith’s campaign believes, this ad is simply the DSCC doing Merkley’s dirty work.

 “Yet again, Jeff is relying on out of state, national party money to run their campaign for them,” Smith campaign spokeswoman Lindsay Gilbride said.

The DSCC released an ad attacking Smith earlier in the year during the primaries after the Smith campaign released an ad accusing Merkley of accepting money during the February 2008 legislative session.

Miller declined to comment on how long the DSCC would run this ad, or if it planned to release any more commercials targeting Smith.