Smith should continue in the Senate

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Don't judge Gordon Smith or Jeff Merkley by the tone of the vicious campaigns they are running for U.S. Senate.

If you did, you might be tempted to skip filling in the little circle next to either of their names on the ballot that arrives in the next few days for the Nov. 4 election.

That would be a shame, since the next person to join Ron Wyden in representing Oregon in the Senate likely will help decide our course on hugely important issues, from how the nation's economy will mend to whether we'll have health care to our continued massive spending on wars in Iraq and elsewhere.

Neither candidate here would be the disaster his opponent makes him out to be. Smith has served in the Senate for more than a decade; Merkley is a successful speaker of the Oregon House. They know the issues, they understand how Oregon works and they are thoughtful, intelligent men.

We're giving the edge here, however, to Smith. He has been down this very road before, and when the nation's in as much trouble as it's in today, his experience — and his power — should serve Oregon well.

Smith's reputation is one of a conservative, but a closer look will show he's actually moderate on many issues. He opposes the war in Iraq, supports a health care plan promoted by Democrat Wyden, has voted for civil rights, including most gay rights.

The National Journal, in an annual congressional ranking, put him in the "center" of the Senate in 2007 — 50th of 100 senators rated on how liberal or conservative their votes had been on a variety of topics.

Critics like Merkley can easily poke holes in the ranking (we'd still put Smith in the conservative column on taxes, for example), but there's no denying he's often acted as a moderating vote, and that not just in election years. He also has nurtured an admirable working relationship with Wyden, with whom he lunches and holds community meetings regularly.

Smith also seems to understand where he's from and who he's serving. He voted for the federal bailout plan this month at least partially because it contained money for financially strapped Oregon timber counties.

There's a lot to like in Merkley as well, starting with a background rich in diverse experience: serving as a Pentagon security analyst, organizing for Habitat for Humanity in Oregon, becoming a legislator and then a successful House speaker.

Merkley's public persona has become critical and grating in this campaign as he relentlessly delivers sound bites attacking Smith and his record. In interviews, in contrast, he is earnest, thoughtful and able to speak about his ideas, not just Smith's faults. It is clear he would lead with a conscience and with some admirable goals.

We just don't believe that's reason enough to take the baton away from Smith at this point. He has led Oregon responsibly and by following his conscience, too. And after more than a decade in the Senate, he has relationships and clout a newcomer can't match.

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