Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, the Democratic nominee for senate from Oregon, has called on Sen. Gordon Smith to donate the $39,000 he received from Ted Stevens to charity.

The longest serving Republican senator in United States history, Ted Stevens was indicted today on federal corruption charges. Stevens has contributed $39,000 to Smith's campaign. [...]

"Senator Smith should donate these contributions to charities to help provide health insurance to Oregon children," said Speaker Jeff Merkley. "Ted Stevens has been indicted on very serious ethical charges. These charges cast an ethical cloud on money he raised from oil companies and others, some of which he passed on to Gordon Smith."

TomP has more in his rec'd diary including this tidbit:

It should also be noted that Gordon Smith's PAC donated $10,000 to Ted Stevens.

Tying every endangered GOP senator to Ted Stevens: priceless.

Update [2008-7-29 20:9:43 by Todd Beeton]:Both Gordon Smith and Susan Collins have given in and will be donating Stevens' donations to charity. I suspect they'd give away their party registration to charity as well if anyone would take it.

Update [2008-7-29 21:44:8 by Todd Beeton]:Looks like all the rage among Republican Senators today is to give Stevens' donations from this cycle only.

[Gordon] Smith spokeswoman Lindsay Gilbride said in an e-mail that Smith will donate to charity the $10,000 that he received from Stevens for his current re-election campaign. "Given the indictment, donating the money is the appropriate thing to do," Gilbride wrote.

At least two other Republican senators up for re-election, Sen. Elizabeth Dole, R-N.C., and Sen. John Sununu, R-N.H., also announced Tuesday that they would donate to charity contributions from Stevens. Both said they would donate the $10,000 they had received from Stevens in the current campaign cycle to charity.