Daily Astorian: Why does Smith want a third term?

The Daily Astorian newspaper had a blistering editorial on Monday, wondering why Gordon Smith is even bothering to run for re-election:

The real question in this election is why Gordon Smith is running for a third term. It is abundantly clear that Smith lacks the legislative gene. That becomes painfully apparent when we look at Smith's colleague Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden. While Sen. Wyden in the last two years has written a tax reform bill and a health care finance bill, Sen. Smith has offered very little of great substance and original authorship. Tax legislation and health care legislation such as Wyden has authored, are the most substantial bills one might write.

Smith's lack of enthusiasm for his job shows in many ways. For instance, Smith has long maintained a conviction that America needed to upgrade its rail network, for passenger and freight purposes. Now that fuel costs have given new importance to the national rail network, this issue is hot. But Smith has not raised his voice or moved legislatively to make it happen.

One may debate the matter of when and why Sen. Smith turned against the Iraq War. But the basic question about Smith is much simpler. Why return Sen. Smith for a third term when he's done so little in two terms? Smith must come out from behind a phalanx of television advertising and answer that question, in person.

Read the entire editorial. Discuss.