Schumer: ‘Smith is trying to change who he is’

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) was trying to change who he is by running ads talking about all the work he had accomplished in tandem with Democratic Sens. Barack Obama and John Kerry.

"Gordon Smith is one of the least popular Republican incumbents," Schumer said. "And he is trying to change who he. He runs more commercials with Barack Obama and John Kerry than he does with George W. Bush and John McCain."

Smith's opponent, Jeff Merkley, took the microphone shortly after Schumer and told reporters that his experience of moving the Oregon House toward a working majority would be

"We do not have a working majority to move bills," Merkley said. "We have to have a majority that can work with Barack Obama to end the war in Iraq."

Merkley also told reporters that despite Smith's fundraising advantages that have allowed him to dominate the airwaves, he was confident that his campaign could find a way to get its message out through a grassroots strategy and by saving their money for air time during the latter months of the campaign.

"It's hard challenging an incumbent that comes into a race with millions of dollars," Merkley said. "We have to run a very different strategy. But we will be on the air in the last two months."

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, which is headed by Schumer, has run multiple television, online and radio ads supporting Merkley.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which has had trouble matching its Democratic counterpart in fundraising, has not run ads in the race.