Desperate times call for desperate measures. Since Republican Gordon Smith doesn't want to address the real concerns of Oregonians, he's serving them another plate full of mud. In Smith's latest attack ad he calls House Speaker Jeff Merkley a hypocrite. More below the fold....

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Yipee! The Independent Party of Oregon has just nominated Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley! This is great news for the Merkley Campaign considering the Independent Party boasts over 22,000 members and is growing rapidly. The Independent Party is now the third largest party in the state which is pretty impressive considering they just formed back in 2007. John Frohnmayer had been running for the Independent Party's nomination but he bowed out of the race back in June. More below the fold....

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Right now, millions of Americans are uninsured and millions more are under-insured. Seniors are having a difficult time being able to afford their prescription drugs. American families can't keep up with the high cost of hospice care and child care. Thousands of Americans die every year because they can't afford to get treatment. Bush and Republicans like Gordon Smith have done nothing but line the pockets of big pharma and the insurance industry at the expense of the health of American families.

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Republican Gordon Smith is running the most negative campaign in the entire country. Smith has spent over one million dollars attacking OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley. You'd think I wouldn't be surprised anymore with the Smith's campaign constant negative attacks and misleading ads, but today the Smith campaign reached a new low. Jeff Merkley released his rural economic development plan and this is how the Smith Campaign responded:

Jeff Merkley has a 10-year record of trying to beat rural Oregon into submission," Gilbride said. "His lackluster and disingenuous proposal is merely fruit from a poisoned tree. It is not credible for Merkley to propose things he spent a career opposing."

Wow.

Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley flew out to Austin Texas to meet with bloggers from all across the country. He was very excited about the event as was I. Follow me below the fold to find out about Jeff Merkley's visit to Netroots Nation....

Full disclosure; I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley is heading to Austin to attend Netroots Nation! Jeff has always believed that the netroots is a critical part of how we make progressive change in this country. He also knows that upstart, passionate Democratic challengers like Jon Tester and Sherrod Brown need the netroots to defeat entrenched incumbent Republicans like Gordon Smith.

The Merkley Campaign has been gaining momentum in the online community. Not only did Jeff out-raise Gordon Smith this past quarter, he also had an amazing showing online. He raised over $420,000 online which was twice the amount he raised online from all three quarters combined! Pretty amazing isn't it?

Follow me below the fold to find out more about Jeff's visit to Austin...

Full disclosure; I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Since March of 2003, 4,113 soldiers have perished in Iraq and thousands have been injured. Hundreds of thousands of veterans are suffering from TBI and mental illnesses like PTSD and many are not seeking treatment. While I am heartened by the passage of the new GI Bill and Bush's willingness to sign it, we have a long way to go to fully honor our veterans.

Full disclosure: I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

Many of my fellow bloggers are most likely aware of Oregon Senate candidate Jeff Merkley's work in the House on equal rights, workers' rights and combating climate change. Jeff Merkley was the director of Habitat for Humanity and became one of the most effective progressive legislators my state has ever seen. He has a very impressive record on domestic issues, but I'm not sure my fellow bloggers know that Jeff Merkley is one of the strongest national security candidates we've had in a long time. Follow me below the fold to learn about the progressive legislator from Oregon who has serious foreign policy chops.....

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley