Merkley Campaign Unveils First Television Ad

"Fighter" Introduces Jeff Merkley and His Passionate Fight for Change

PORTLAND - Today House Speaker Jeff Merkley's campaign for U.S. Senate released its first television ad. The 30-second spot entitled "Fighter" showcases Merkley's passion for taking on the special interests to deliver change, protect a woman's right to choose, and end the war in Iraq.

"This ad will introduce Oregonians to Jeff Merkley and convey his passion for making change, protecting a woman's right to choose, and ending the war in Iraq," said Matt Canter, communications director for the Merkley campaign. "Jeff has spent his life fighting for working families, affordable health care, and a clean environment. This campaign is about fighting for real change in Washington D.C."

View the new ad.

The spot highlights how Merkley led Democrats to take back the Oregon House and crack down on payday lenders to help working families, stand up to drug companies to make medicine more affordable, and take on the oil companies to invest in renewable energy. The new spot also emphasizes that unlike Republican Gordon Smith, Merkley always protects a woman's right to choose and opposed the war in Iraq from the very beginning.

The spot, which will begin airing tomorrow, will be part of a substantial, statewide effort by the Merkley campaign to introduce Oregonians to Jeff Merkley and his agenda to change Washington D.C.

Jeff Merkley's fight for change:

Working Families
To pave the way for the middle class, Merkley led the fight in Oregon to end sky-high interest rates for payday loan sharks. Merkley will fight in the U.S. Senate for a national cap of 36% for interest rates on payday loans, like the current cap that applies to military men and women.

Health Care
To make health care more affordable, Merkley fought the drug companies and insurance companies to lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and families. Merkley, whose wife Mary is a practicing nurse, will take power away from the drug companies and insurance lobbyists and give it back to patients and doctors who should be making our medical decisions.

Environment
To combat global warming, Merkley took on the oil companies and passed landmark legislation to invest in renewable energy. In the U.S. Senate Merkley will rollback the giveaways to oil companies and make historic investments in clean energy.

Reproductive Rights
Merkley has stood up to right wing extremists and built a 100 percent record of protecting a women's right to choose. He pushed through historic legislation requiring insurance companies to cover prescription birth control. When the next President nominates Supreme Court judges and the Senate votes to confirm them, Merkley will protect Roe versus Wade.

Iraq War
Merkley opposed the Iraq war from the very beginning. Serving has a weapons analyst for the Pentagon and Congress, Merkley has the national security experience to separate fact from fiction when it comes to keeping our nation safe. Merkley will fight in the U.S. Senate to end the War in Iraq and bring our troops home immediately.

Jeff Merkley spent his early years in Roseburg, Oregon, a community where the children of loggers and mill workers learned the value of honest work, good neighbors, and strong families. Jeff earned scholarships and became the first in his family to go to college. He went on to serve as a national security analyst, first for the Pentagon and then for Congress. After returning to Oregon with his wife Mary, Jeff led Habitat for Humanity and worked with low-income families to rebuild neighborhoods and purchase their first home.

As Oregon's next U.S. Senator, Jeff Merkley will take on the special interests and fight hard for regular hardworking Oregonians. He will take on the big insurance and drug companies to make health care more affordable and accessible for all of us. He will end unfair trade deals that have cost Oregon 70,000 manufacturing jobs and will end tax breaks for companies that ship jobs overseas. And Jeff will end the war in Iraq, bring our sons and daughters home, and fulfill the commitment we have made to our veterans and men and women in uniform.

Today, Jeff Merkley lives in East Multnomah County with Mary, a professional nurse, and their two children, Jonathan age eleven and Brynne age ten.

Posted April 7, 2008
Press