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How desperate is Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., to disassociate himself from the GOP brand this year? His latest ad features words of praise from none other than Barack Obama.

In response to attack ads from an outside group, Smith released a new TV spot (subscription) Tuesday claiming that he and Obama worked together in the Senate to raise fuel standards for American cars.

"Who said Gordon Smith helped lead the fight for better gas mileage and a cleaner environment? Barack Obama," an announcer says. The spot goes on to claim that Smith and Obama together "broke through a 20-year deadlock to pass new laws which increase gas mileage for automobiles." It also cites Gov. Ted Kulongoski's (D) praise for the two senators' "bipartisan partnership on this critical issue." At the end of the ad, Smith appears onscreen to deliver the same tagline that has close his previous ads: "I’m Gordon Smith, and I approve working together across party lines and this ad."

Smith has spent much of the campaign emphasizing his record of reaching across the aisle, and this ad is not his first to feature words of praise from Democratic legislators. But he is certainly the first Republican incumbent to tie himself directly to the opposing party's presidential nominee.

The Obama camp, for its part, was not eager to embrace Smith. "Barack Obama has a long record of bipartisan accomplishment," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton told reporters. "In this race, Oregonians should know that Barack Obama supports Jeff Merkley," Smith's rival.

Smith's ad comes not long after Majority Action, a left-leaning 527 group, launched two ads alleging that Smith accepts "campaign cash from big oil" at a time when Oregonians are chafing under the high price of fuel. The group, funded by heavyweight Democratic contributors like George Soros and the Service Employees International Union, is committed to targeting Republican lawmakers on their records "through aggressive issue advocacy campaigns," according to its Web site.

"Billions" (subscription) emphasizes the record profits being made by big oil companies while accusing Smith of supporting additional tax breaks on such companies to the tune of $20 billion. "Dollars" (subscription), meanwhile, attacks Smith for voting "against higher fuel mileage standards that could save Oregon families $1,700 a year." Both ads end with the same message for Oregon voters: "Tell Gordon Smith we need lower fuel costs, not billions for big oil."

As the Oregonian pointed out at the time, the group's $1,700 figure is something of a stretch. But Smith’s quick reaction to the spots demonstrates his campaign's perceived vulnerability this year in a state that's already trending blue.