There have been dozens of television ads and web videos releases on both sides of the Jeff Merkley-Gordon Smith battle for the U.S. Senate. The Merkley and Smith campaigns have made some themselves and their respective senatorial campaign committees have thrown a few more into the mix.

When a new one is released, the responsible campaign usually distributes a press release and a video clip. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee ad questioning Smith’s voting record on veteran care, however, didn’t get that kind of rollout. The aggressive-toned ad is running on TV and is posted on YouTube, but little was done to widely publicize the its release. And Smith’s campaign has an idea why.

“The ad is misleading and inaccurate,” Smith spokeswoman Gilbride said, pointing to a part of the ad that accuses Smith of casting over two dozen votes against health care for veterans. “They don't cite 27 votes in the ad and they didn't release back up. The claim funding was cut because of Gordon Smith - that is flat out not true. Gordon Smith has voted for $276 billion in funding for the veterans' health administration.”

The ad cites “Smith’s voting record 1997-2008” for those 27 votes. A release sent by the DSCC after a request from PolitickerOR.com on Tuesday cited the votes, ranging from budget votes on the Department of Veterans Affairs to funding increases for veterans health.

DSCC spokesman Matthew Miller said that the DSCC put the ad up on YouTube and sent the ad, along with the release to television stations around Oregon.

“It’s been on TV hundreds of times, it’s not exactly flying under the radar,” Miller said. “For some ads we do a press release, and for some we don’t.”

Gilbride pointed out that, unlike the DSCC, the Smith campaign offers resources and legislation to back up all the claims in their ads so voters can make up their own minds.

“All of our ads are on our website and on YouTube,” she said.

The DSCC ad has been posted on YouTube since September 16 but is not on the DSCC’s website.