The Bend Bulletin blasted Oregon House Speaker and U.S Senate candidate Jeff Merkley (D-Portland) in its editorial on Thursday morning for his attempts to claim that television ads he appeared in that were paid for by the Democratic party were not supposed to help or promote his campaign.

"When asked about the FEC rules, Merkley's campaign claimed the ads were just permitted ‘issue' ads and their purpose was not to help Merkley or hurt Smith. Merkley must possess a cocktail of self-righteousness and egotism to believe that fantasy," the editorial said. 

Merkley's comments came Wednesday when Senator Gordon Smith's (R-Pendleton) campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, accusing Merkley of trying to circumvent campaign finance laws by participating in the ads. If the FEC rules that the ads did in fact promote Merkley or his campaign, then the money spent on the ads will put Merkley over the dollar limit of campaign contributions from the state party.

Read the editorial here (subscription required).