SALEM - Even before they've gotten into the race, two potential challengers to U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith are being blasted by the Oregon Republican Party, which is taking aim mainly at Portland businesswoman Eileen Brady's driving record and her failure to vote in elections.

The GOP's criticism of Brady and state Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, is noteworthy because neither has formally committed to running against Smith and the criticism comes nearly a year-and-a-half before Smith will stand for re-election in November 2008.

Oregon Republican Chairman Vance Day's criticism of Brady and Bates comes as national Democrats continue to search for a big-name contender to take on the well-funded Smith, who's been reaching out to moderate Oregon voters in recent months.

Day on Thursday made public a letter he wrote to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in which he took note of the Democrats' recruitment efforts and then went on to discuss the “flaws” of the two potential contenders.

He aimed his toughest criticism at Brady, who started the New Seasons chain of grocery markets in 1999 with her husband, Brian Rohter.

He cited the dozens of parking tickets that Brady has received in the last seven years as well as a pending ticket citing her for speeding in a school zone.

The GOP chairman also said Brady has failed to vote in five elections since 1994 and that the New Seasons grocery chain has been hit with allegations of discrimination and workplace safety violations.

Day criticized Bates on the basis of his votes in the Legislature, mainly his support of a $700 million tax hike in 2002 and an $800 million tax hike in 2003, both of which were ultimately rejected by the voters.

Day, in an interview, said Brady and Bates are fair game for the Republican criticism, since both have said they might run against Smith.

“Our job is to do the public's homework and to see if these persons are qualified and whether they have the integrity to serve,” the state GOP chairman said.

Brady, in response, said she was “flattered and not surprised that the Republican leadership sees me as such a threat.”

“Clearly, the Republican leadership is worried about the electability of Gordon Smith when they have to go negative this early on undeclared challengers,” she said late Thursday.

Brady acknowledged that she had received “lots” of parking tickets while working in downtown Portland, and that she had paid those tickets.

As for the GOP's criticism of the New Seasons chain, she said, “the company's record as a model employer, equal rights advocate and community citizen stands on its own.”

She had no immediate comment on the GOP's assertion about her not voting in recent elections.

Brady was in Washington, D.C., earlier this week to discuss her possible Senate bid with Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., who is chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

A spokesman for the committee, Matt Miller, declined to discuss the potential candidacies of Brady or Bates.

However, Miller said Day's letter criticizing Brady and Bates “shows how nervous Gordon Smith is.”

“They have already cranked up the Republican attack machine on people who are not even in the race,” he said.

Political analyst Jim Moore said he thinks Day's letter was designed to make possible candidates “think twice” about running against Smith, who has vowed to raise $10 million for his re-election campaign.

“They are trying to make it clear to those candidates that they are in for a total political war if they run against Gordon,” said Moore, who teaches political science at Pacific University in Forest Grove.