Merkley gets moment in the sun at DNC

By JULIA SILVERMAN

Published August 27, 2008 at 5:30 p.m.
Updated August 27, 2008 at 6:13 p.m.

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) _ Oregon Senate hopeful Jeff Merkley had approximately two minutes Wednesday afternoon to make a national impression.

Merkley was one of just six Democratic Senate candidates tapped to deliver a speech to the assembled party faithful at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, a signal that party bigwigs consider the Oregon contest to be competitive.

Merkley is facing off against two-term Republican incumbent Gordon Smith, who has said he won't appear at next week's GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Smith has a large financial edge, and much greater name recognition, but Merkley has voter registration numbers on his side, and the popularity of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama in Oregon.

In his short speech, Merkley continued his efforts to tie Smith to the Bush administration, and to GOP nominee John McCain, blaming all three for a government that he said prioritizes oil company profits and allows tax loopholes that send jobs overseas.

"My opponent talks like Barack Obama, but he votes like George Bush," Merkley added, in a jab at Smith's repeated attempts to emphasize his bipartisan credentials.

Smith attracted national attention earlier this year when he ran a campaign commercial that highlighted legislation he had co-sponsored with Obama and 2004 Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry. He is also playing no official role in McCain's Oregon campaign.

A spokeswoman for Smith, Lindsay Gilbride, said Wednesday that Merkley had "aired his divisive partisanship loud and clear today."

Merkley was sharing the podium with Representatives Tom Allen of Maine and Tom Udall of New Mexico, and former New Hampshire Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, all candidates for seats currently held by Republicans, but ranked as possible takeovers by national Democrats. After their speeches, the four re-emerged on stage along with New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, to wave to the crowd.

Rep. Mark Udall of Colorado and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner also were given speaking slots at the convention; a handful of other Democratic Senate hopefuls either skipped the convention or, like Minnesota candidate Al Franken, weren't invited to speak.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has been paying for ads that attack Smith's record and praise Merkley for several weeks now in Oregon.

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