Gordon Smith - has a problem. He has hired and profited from the work of illegal immigrants at his food processing business, Smith Foods.

Research shows that for decades, Smith repeatedly hired undocumented workers, or workers with fake documents, or refused to photocopy workers documents in order to confound immigration officials trying to investigate him.

Smith is therefore profiting from the exploitation of illegal immigrants, but he is also engaged in a defacto denial of those jobs to Americans or legal immigrants, for that matter.

To defend his ability to hire illegal immigrants, Smith has voted against:

1. Tougher penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants

2. Tougher employment protection for undocumented workers- so they cannot be exploited by employers like Gordon Smith
   
3. Voted against increased funding for Employer enforcement.

Gordon Smith - purposefully undermining our immigration laws.

There's more...

In the first debate between Republican Gordon Smith and Oregon's House Speaker Jeff Merkley, Smith touted his work with Oregon's Longshore workers. Here's what Smith had to say:

And I have been a voice for rural Oregon. You see what Pendleton wheat farmers need is Portland long shore man. I bridged that gap. Jeff Merkley makes it much deeper.

Oregon's Longshore workers are not having it. More below the fold....

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

There's more...

You have to hand it to Gordon Smith, he is quick on his feet when he's cornered. Now he's lining up names like Kennedy and Barack Obama to shore up his image.

What is his real record?

Well, he has been a great legislator......for President Bush's failed policies:

1. He's supported tax-cuts for the wealthy.

2. He's supported Subsidies for Big Oil.

3. He's voted against allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices through Medicare.

Gordon Smith - he is in someone's corner, and that is Bush's corner.

There's more...

In just three days, Oregonians will be making their choice in the highly contested Senate race. Oregon is a vote by mail state and ballots will begin dropping this FRIDAY. Obama is up 17 points here and there's no question in my mind that he will carry Oregon. The Oregon Senate race is a different story. Follow me below the fold to find out why it's so important that we all come together to elect progressive Democrat Jeff Merkley.

Full disclosure, I am the netroots director for OR-Sen candidate Jeff Merkley

There's more...

Gordon Smith is a party animal. He's busy throwing a party for the big players on Wall Street - he supports privatizing social security so it can be risked in the stock market.

He has supported tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas.

He has supported tax breaks for the oil industry during a time of record profits.

Gordon Smith's party has left a mess that we will have to clean up. Lets tell him the party's over!

There's more...