Lining up to defeat Gordon Smith

Daily Kos has a front page post about a second Democratic candidate about to enter the race for the Oregon Senate seat currently held by Republican Gordon Smith. The new candidate is Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, who will compete in the primary with activist Steve Novick.

Loaded Orygun has more details and scored a nice link from Kos. Well done! The effort to defeat Smith will certainly be a high priority for all northwest progressives next year. Kos had this to say:

Talking to people on the ground in Oregon, both candidates are highly regarded. This isn't a DLC vs. Reformer type race, and both these candidates have the potential to become people-powered candidates -- that is, lower-visibility candidates driven home by a mass popular movement. Merkley is seen as more "electable" because, well, he's been elected to office before. And his efforts to wrestle the House from Republican control last year is viewed with a mixture of gratitude and awe.

This will be a good primary and one in which, regardless the outcome, Democrats end up winners.

Quality candidates and a vulnerable, Bush-enabling incumbent. Who could ask for anything more?