Oregon race could spell end of Schumer streak

Miller and other Democrats in Washington acknowledge that the Senate race is closer than expected, but they say that whoever wins the party's nomination will give Smith trouble in a state that is trending Democratic and appears poised to give Barack Obama a solid victory in Tuesday's presidential primary.

"We feel good about our chances in Oregon" in the general election, Miller said, in part because of the excitement generated by the Democratic presidential race.

Democrats say the Senate race is notable for the attack ads by Smith, who has spent nearly $500,000 on ads blasting Merkley on a variety on fronts, including the fact that Merkley raised money for his congressional campaign while the state legislature was in session. Merkley says he did not take any money from people doing business with the state during the legislative session.

"He's trying to pick his opponent," Miller said of Smith. "It's pretty clear he doesn't want to run against Jeff Merkley in the fall."

Smith is the only incumbent senator in the country who has "meddled in the other side's primary" this year, Miller said.

Smith also declined to comment. R.C. Hammond, a spokesman for the campaign, said Smith's ad merely responded to an earlier ad by Merkley.

"Gordon Smith has been attacked online, in press releases, in radio interviews and on TV by Democrats for well over a year. And Jeff Merkley was the first Senate candidate to attack Gordon Smith, and the senator's campaign has responded," Hammond said.

Hammond rejected the idea that Smith prefers to face Merkley over Novick, saying Smith is confident against either one. "Senator Smith is pointing out Jeff Merkley's fundraising hypocrisy and Steve Novick's love of taxes and big government programs," Hammond said.

Even if Merkley ekes out a win, it is Novick who has generated buzz in Oregon and beyond with clever TV ads, including one that shows him opening a beer bottle with his left hand -which is a metal hook. The 4-foot-9 Novick was born with multiple physical disabilities, but has parlayed a sharp wit into a polished strategy that stresses his unique appeal.

"We think people are looking for something a little different. I'm little, and I'm different," he says.