Speaker Jeff Merkley’s campaign is trotting out the tried-and-true negative characterization, the one once fatally affixed to Sen. John Kerry (D-MA): flip-flopper.

The most recent alert concerns an article run today in the National Journal, which reported that Smith will most likely support the Democrat-driven Medicare plan.

The quote which so delighted the Merkley campaign, came from Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), the ranking member of the Finance Committee: Smith has been unwilling to fix problems with Medicare payments in the past.”

Indeed, the votes sited by Merkley don’t speak of the Senator’s full record; while he did vote against a six-month extension of Medicare funding, he soon after voted for a one-year extension.

In 2003, the Merkley campaign notes that Smith cast the deciding vote against an amendment to aid rural Medicare providers; a few months later, he voted in favor of an amendment to the tax bill that would provide $25 billion in relief to physicians and other health care providers.

Hammond also pointed to a letter from the American Medical Association which expressed “appreciation for [Smith’s] leadership in crafting legislation to replace pending Medicare physician payment cuts with positive updates.”