Oregon's purportedly "moderate" Senator Gordon Smith (he voted to the right of eleven of his colleagues in the Senate GOP caucus in 2004 according to National Journal -- some moderate, indeed) is finally being pressured by his constituents to show a little spine on the issue of Social Security, report Edward Walsh and Jim Barnett of The Oregonian.

The Democratic Party's radio ads began running Tuesday in Portland, Eugene, Medford and Smith's hometown of Pendleton. Kelly Steele, the state party's spokesman, said Smith's voting record on Social Security indicates that he will support the Bush plan "unless Oregonians force his hand."

"Gordon Smith's current nonposition on Social Security suggests he is either ignorant or he is deliberately misleading the public," Steele said. "Gordon Smith needs to take a position on Bush's plan, and it needs to be 'no.' "

[...]

About 150 people attended the Portland rally, where they waved yellow and black signs reading, "Hands Off My Social Security." The rally was sponsored by a coalition made up largely of labor unions.

In an interview before the rally, Oregon AFL-CIO President Tim Nesbitt said Smith is being targeted because "Gordon Smith's vote is critically important." His membership on the Finance Committee "really puts Senator Smith in an important position, not only for Oregon but for the country," Nesbitt said.

The only way Gordon Smith is going to explicate his position on privatization is if his constituents raise their voices loud enough. The grassroots activists have done what they needed to do -- inform the public through ads and rallies about the danger of privatization -- so it's now up to normal Oregonians to let Senator Smith know that they are against contracting out Social Security.