Republican Senator runs ad bragging about his work with Obama

[Yellowdogtexan]

This is both funny and not a good sign for mc :cane in Oregon http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGDJijGCeO4 Normally republicans do not rely on support from the Democratic candidate.

[quiet man]

could the coat tails of change carry over to the other party? that would be history of another kind. may be a lot of change come november!

[Yellowdogtexan]

Again, I find this amusing. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/24/oregon_gop_senator_cites_work_with_obama_in_ad/Republicans usually demonize Barack Obama in their political advertising, but GOP Sen. Gordon Smith aligns himself with the Democratic presidential candidate in a new ad, citing legislation they worked on to improve fuel efficiency standards.

Observers in both parties said it appeared to be the first time in this election cycle that a GOP Senate candidate had aligned with Obama.

The ad, responding to an independent Democratic ad linking Smith to high gas prices, credits Obama with saying that "Gordon Smith led the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment."

Democrats say Obama said nothing of the kind.

The two senators worked together on the 2006 fuel efficiency bill, but Obama never called Smith a leader in the fight and never praised him by mail, said Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,

In a more measured statement, Obama's campaign said the Illinois senator appreciated that his "record of bipartisan achievement is respected by his Democratic and Republican colleagues."

But Obama is backing Democrat Jeff Merkley in the Oregon Senate race, said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.

Smith, the lone Senate Republican on the Pacific Coast, is trying to keep his seat in a state that's been tilting toward Democrats. Polls show him running ahead of Merkley, the Oregon House speaker, but with less than a formidable lead.

Smith has studiously avoided any mention of his GOP credentials in his ads and campaign literature. A recent ad featured two Democrats, including former Oregon Rep. Elizabeth Furse, praising Smith for speaking out against the Iraq war in December 2006, after Republicans lost control of Congress.It is very amusing that the GOP candidate does not mention that he is a republican and is running based on having a friendship with the Democratic presidential nominee. I doubt that mc :cane will be making many appearances with this republican.

[Yellowdogtexan]

If you read between the lines, the mc :cane campaign is a little miffed at Smith http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/26/1169349.aspxMcCain senior adviser Steve Schmidt started the morning off -- at 6:45 am ET! -- with a memo contrasting McCain and Obama on the issue of bipartisanship. "There has never been a time when Barack Obama has bucked the party line to lead on an issue of national importance,” Schmidt wrote. “He has never been a part of a bipartisan group that came together to solve a controversial issue. He has never put his career on the line for a cause greater than himself… We don't need to trade Republican partisanship for Democratic partisanship. We need to put our country first and put our politics second. That is what John McCain has done his whole life, and that is what he will do as president." While it's not a memo that says it's designed to be a response to Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith's (R) ad touting his work with Obama across the aisle, it certainly reads that way. Smith did not do McCain any favors with this TV ad, as it ends up rebutting McCain's frequent attacks on Obama that his bipartisan rhetoric is just that -- rhetoric with few actions to back it up. And now Smith's actions are getting national attention and serve as too easy of a rebuttal to Schmidt's memo. Smith's decision in Oregon (a supposed swing state, folks, not just some deep blue state) also counters the national GOP committees here in DC that have been trying to paint Obama as out of touch. The Washington Post reports that House GOP strategists are now backing off their attempts to demonize Obama; clearly some GOP senators running for re-election aren't ready to run against Obama, and that leaves McCain going it alone. Not helpful to the McCain cause

[issac the dragon]

Gordon Smith is a loyal Republican Senator. He clicks his heels and salutes every time Bush wants something done. And somehow convinces the Oregonions that he is independent. If the GOP could figure out Gordon's secret, there might never be another Democrat elected.

The one time Smith did come out independent was after the elections in 06, and he figured he'd lose in 08 if he supported Bush's war. Until then, he had been a supporter.

[Wabash]

Ya...Smith has dropped his principles to garner votes in order to beat his Demo opponent...and I'm disappointed in his lackluster job...but he is still much better than the Dem!

[Yellowdogtexan]

Here is Gordon Smith's latest commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZScS9UpgcIINow Smith is claiming to have worked with both Senator Obama and Senator Kerry. Here is Senator Kerry's response to this claim http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/07/31/republican_smith_cites_another_democrat_in_new_ad/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Latest+newsKerry said his decision to back Merkley is not personal.

"Gordon Smith is my friend, but the problem is that when it's come time to vote in the Senate he's been a much better friend of George Bush," Kerry said in a statement.

"Voting with George Bush 90 percent of the time just isn't good for the people and issues I've fought for over a lifetime," Kerry added. "It's not personal, it's about what's best for our country. The inescapable fact is that electing Jeff Merkley is the only way we can win a Senate majority that gets things done for people again."

Smith, the lone Senate Republican on the Pacific Coast, is trying to keep his seat in a state that's been tilting toward Democrats. Polls show him and Merkley in a close race.

[Yellowdogtexan]

The Young Turks have fun laughing at Gordon Smith http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qte8fpmzlY4