Just wanted to throw this up quickly before I have to hit the road: Oregon's own Gordon Smith is in deep trouble. A Rasmussen poll has him under 50% to both potential Democratic challengers, and only ahead by three points against Jeff Merkley.

Although he has a huge money pile, he must be starting to sweat out there in his D.C. offices. He knows that his days are numbered. Why else would he released the following horrendously negative attack:

He's coming after Jeff Merkley because he knows that Jeff can beat him in November. This poll confirms Merkley's strength, and we begin to understand just how desperate that Smith is getting. Over at BlueOregon, Jeff Alworth says it perfectly, and calls Smith on his bullshit:

Leaving aside for a moment the unsourced lies and misdirection, let's parse the ad for what it is, a blueprint of fear. The Republican Party is a badly-damaged brand. Voters now associate it with corruption and incompetence, and incumbent Republicans are trying to wash the stain from their Scarlet Rs. So Smith hits Merkley for being the corrupt one and the ends with this capper: "Jeff Merkley, more of the same when it's time for a change." Let's see, why would a 12-year Senator be hyping himself as a candidate for change?

The text of the ad contains outright lies as well--de rigueur for Republican hit pieces. Merkley is, of course, the candidate who pushed for and passed ethics reform in Salem. The ad suggests he raised money from lobbyists during the session (sourcing, amusingly, two articles that ran before the session began--how's that for bungling a lie?); yet he didn't raise a single a nickel from any Oregon lobbyist or special-interest organizational PAC during the legislative session.

This could be a tidal-wave year for Democrats. White House? Yes please. Senate? More, more. House? Hell yes. And Oregon? Ours, too.

But we need to work hard. I was out canvassing today, and I'll be out a ton of weekends between now and November. Getting Gordon Smith out of Washington and Democrats in is one of the most important things that we Oregonians can do.