Ron Wyden blasts misleading ad from Freedom's Watch

Kari Chisholm

Q: How do you know you're winning?

A: When they come after you with three negative ads -- all on the same day.

Here's three new ads that started airing today, all attacking Jeff Merkley - one from Freedom's Watch, a very similar one from Gordon Smith, and one from the the NRSC:

Senator Ron Wyden called the attack ad from Freedom's Watch "misleading and wrong":

Advocacy for seniors is a subject I know a little something about, and the far-right 'Freedoms Watch' ad is simply misleading and wrong.

It is wrong to attempt to mislead people into believing that Jeff Merkley has been anything but a tenacious advocate for Oregon's seniors. Jeff didn't decrease overall funding for seniors; he greatly increased funding for seniors and people with disabilities so they can live independent, productive lives.

Jeff stood up to drug companies to bring down the cost of seniors' prescription drugs, he fought for identity theft protection for the elderly, and championed energy cost assistance for seniors. Jeff was great for seniors in the legislature, and he will be great for seniors in the U.S. Senate.

And the same applies to Gordon Smith's almost-identical ad.

It's been a while since there's been public polling in the Senate race, but the private polling from the GOP must show Gordon Smith in trouble. Because there's no other explanation for such a coordinated assault.

[Full disclosure: My firm built websites for Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, but I speak only for myself.]

By Kari Chisholm Sept. 09, 2008