Democrats and Merkley = Hypocrisy

US Senator wannabe Jeff Merkley and the Democrat Party of Oregon are engaged in quite the game of campaign finance law envelope pushing. The current television commercials (viewable below and here) that the two collaborated on have to cross some line — but since when has Jeff Merkley thought that laws applied to him? Robocalls and fundraising during session anyone?

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I am sure most have now seen the news stories from the Associated Press, The Oregonian, and KATU (click and watch video) that have the Democrat machine spinning faster than the wheels on their bicycles and Priuses. But, there is something interesting about one of the ads that I have not seen anyone pick up on yet”¦

One ad sure looks like it is filmed in the STATE CAPITOL. That’s right — it looks like the inside of our State Capitol!

If you look closely you will notices that Jeff Merkley is standing in the middle of something that looks a lot like his legislative office. Why would you film an ad for your campaign (oops, I mean an ad for “party building” on behalf of the Democrat Party) and go so close to making it look like it is in your taxpayer paid for office.

We all know that Merkley is about the most partisan and hypocritical legislator to ever step foot into the Capitol, but using his state office to film commercials for himself and other Democrats is just laughable.

What makes this little gem even more interesting is that it was Jeff Merkley and his uber-partisan leadership team in 2006 that ran to the news media crying foul over a Republican web video filmed in the Capitol. Here is what KOIN-TV reported at the time:

House Democrats Mary Nolan and Phil Barnhart contend that it was not appropriate for Republican Speaker Karen Minnis and Majority Leader Wayne Scott to use their offices because those offices are provided at taxpayer expense.

And it gets better”¦

“Sitting at your desk in your capitol it is a desk and office that is provided at taxpayer expense, you should be doing the work that the taxpayers pay you to do. You shouldn’t be using that facility to do campaign work, and that is what happens on this video,” Nolan said.

So does the fact that Merkley was standing — rather than sitting — in his ad make it OK? Or is it that it is “party building” that makes it better Mary?

Hypocrites!

When it comes to Jeff Merkley, the rules just don’t apply.