Freedom's Watch

Freedom’s Watch, the national conservative group, has been investing heavily recently in Oregon’s U.S. Senate race, but has been relatively quiet in the 5th Congressional District race, which was the first Oregon race it decided to participate in.

The independent group Freedom’s Watch has spent $336,033 in Oregon in the past 10 days running ads against U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley.

Freedom’s Watch released a new ad Wednesday urging Oregon voters to tell Jeff Merkley that tax hikes were bad policy, and points to a clip of the Democratic candidate advocating for taxes.

Conservative advocacy organization Freedom’s Watch responded to the rebuttal from U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Merkley's campaign to the ad it released Tuesday, saying Merkley, who is state House speaker, was simply trying to spin his way out of a decision he made in the Oregon legislature to cut funds for a program to help seniors.

The anti-Jeff Merkley ad released by Freedom’s Watch Tuesday is deliberately deceiving voters Merkley's record on seniors in Oregon’s State House, according to U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Portland).

Another national  group weighed in on Oregon’s Senate race Tuesday when it released an ad accusing Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) of cutting funds that would support home care for seniors.

Progressive robocaller Moses Ross said Thursday that the outcome of the 5th Congressional District race was probably not going to be impacted by a national organization targeting state Sen. Kurt Schrader (D-Canby) because Mike Erickson (R-Lake Oswego) was having trouble building momentum in his campaign.

Freedom’s Watch responded Thursday to State Sen. and Congressional candidate Kurt Schrader’s (D-Canby) campaign’s dismissal of their robo calls, saying that Schrader’s indifference toward their calls matches his indifference toward CD-5 residents paying an exorbitant price at the pump.

State Sen. Kurt Schrader: Campaign photoFreedom’s Watch, the conservative policy advocacy group, targeted residents in the 5th Congressional District again on Wednesday with robo calls accusing the Democratic candidate, state Sen. Kurt Schrader of not doing anything to alleviate high gas prices in Oregon.

The automated voice at the other end of the line accuses liberals in Congress of not doing anything to alleviate the price of fuel by refusing to allow for offshore drilling, and then brings the accusations closer to home by accusing liberal state lawmakers, including Schrader, of not supporting a gas tax holiday for state fuel taxes.

“[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi refuses to allow American companies to drill offshore for American oil,” the voice says, before continuing: “You’re still paying 25 cents a gallon in Oregon gas taxes. Call State Sen. Kurt Schrader, tell him that even though he’s got a liberal record, you expect him to fight for lower gas prices.”