Freedom's Watch releases new ad touting Smith's tax record

The conservative advocacy group Freedom’s Watch released a new television ad Wednesday praising U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) for the work he has done to relieve the middle class while wages are falling and prices rising.

The group previously released several ads attacking U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley’s (D-Portland) record on taxes, but the Oregon house speaker was not mentioned anywhere in this ad. It represents a significant change in tone from the Washington, D.C. based group, but Freedom’s Watch spokesman Tim Pearson said it was simply party of their effort to get the same message on taxes across to Oregonians.

“This ad and our earlier ads criticizing Merkley on taxes are two sides of the same coin,” Pearson said. “Gordon Smith has fought to lower taxes on the middle-class.  Jeff Merkley has boasted of his efforts to raise them.  No matter how many different ways you flip that coin it tells the same story, because that story happens to be the truth.  So consider this just us switching up our storyteller – no more, no less.”

During a debate between Merkley and Smith on Monday night, Smith told voters he would take down his negative ads if Merkley would do the same. Merkley countered that he did not have any negative ads up, but that he would ask independent groups contributing advertising on his behalf to take down their negative ads if Smith would follow suit.

But Pearson said their decision to focus more on Smith’s accomplishments, rather than attacking Merkley’s record, had nothing to do with any requests from the Smith campaign.

“We don't solicit advise from candidates or campaigns, nor do we act on any unsolicited advice they may choose to offer,” Pearson said.

This ad focuses on Smith’s work in the U.S. Senate to stop several tax increases, and keep Oregonians’ federal taxes as low as possible.

“Just this month he stopped massive mid tax increase called the A.M.T,” the ad says. “Gordon Smith is helping to save Oregon families an average of $2,000 a year.”

Merkley campaign spokesman Matt Canter said the claim that Smth was helping to ease the burdens on middle class Oregonians was odd, considering that Oregonians are faced with even harder times.

"I don't believe the ad has much credibility," Canter said. "Oregon families are feeling squeezed in large part because of Geroge W. Bush's economic policies that were rubber-stamped by Gordon Smith. It's not believable to people that Gordon Smith is a solution to the problem."