Oregon Democratic Convention

Oregon Democrats Saturday discussed, debated, deliberated and finally elected the final 19 delegates to represent the state at the Democratic National Convention.

Party officials holed up inside the Western Oregon University for five hours to finalize the 65 delegates that will represent the Beaver state when the party gathers in Denver this August to officially nominate U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as the Democratic candidate for president.

U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley received thunderous applause and a standing ovation as he took a few pot shots at Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Pendleton) on Saturday while addressing the Democratic State Convention at Western Oregon University in Monmouth.

"He's spending about a million dollars a month on television ads to say he's moderate, he's independent," Merkley said to the 300 democrats that crammed into the auditorium. "How bipartisan can a person be if they vote with Bush and Cheney more than 90% of the time?"

As the enthusiastic crowd booed the very mention of Smith's name, Merkley broadened his attack from Oregon's Republican senator to the country's Republican administration.

"I'm proud to be a part of the state of Oregon, a state that has the lowest opinion of Bush and Cheney in the country," he said.

Former Oregon governor and Barack Obama supporter Barbara Roberts will be attending her eighth and possibly final Democratic convention after Josh Kardon removed his name from the list of candidates for Oregon's unpledged delegate at the Democratic State Convention on Saturday.

"Nobody knows more about men trying to push you out of a race than Barbara Roberts," Kardon told the 300 Democrats gathered at Western Oregon University in Monmouth. "So I'm asking for a unanimous vote for our former governor, and our greatest Democrat, Barbara Roberts."