Smith releases ad featuring Wyden; Wyden pulls signature

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland) is finding himself front and center in an Oregon Senate race advertisement for the second time in a week, except this time it’s not for the candidate he endorsed.

U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) released a new ad Friday featuring Oregon’s senior senator calling Smith his partner in the Senate chamber. The ad shows Smith and Wyden together at the Oregon Business Plan Leadership Summit

“It's a question of finding common ground,” Wyden says in the ad. “And Senator Smith, my friend, my partner, always meets me half way.”

Wyden has been an ardent supporter of U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), and spoke on behalf of the Oregon House Speaker on an ad the Merkley campaign released Monday. He has also been campaigning around the state on behalf of Merkley and presidential candidate Barack Obama.

“The danger of this ad is in confuses voters on where Senator Wyden stands,” Wyden’s chief of staff Josh Kardon said. “Senator Wyden supports Jeff Merkley.”

Kardon said Saturday that Wyden was upset with the use of his signature at the end of the advertisement, and they were pursuing the issue through the proper channels. Saturday evening the Oregonian’s Harry Esteve reported that the Smith camp would remove Wyden’s signature.

Smith spokeswoman Lindsay Gilbride berated Smith’s campaign rival, Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), for insisting on trying to paint Smith as someone who works against Wyden, instead of with him.

“While Jeff Merkley insists on partisan, divisive advertising, Gordon Smith is showcasing Oregon’s bipartisan Senate team,” Smith spokesperson Lindsay Gilbride said. “That’s a fundamental difference between these candidates.”