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Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. and his wife, Mary Sorteberg, meet with reporters Wednesday morning following his big re-election victory the night before over Republican Monica Wehby.

(Jeff Mapes/The Oregonian)

Sen. Jeff Merkley, speaking to reporters Wednesday after his big re-election victory, blamed heavy Democratic losses in U.S. Senate races on the flood of big outside spending on campaigns unleashed by the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

"I think we should be deeply troubled by the results of last night, where an agenda by and for billionaires -- campaigns funded by out-of-state billionaires -- had victories across our country," Merkley said in a press conference at the Portland Hilton Hotel.

Democrats lost at least seven Senate seats and control of the chamber as Republicans swept virtually every close seat. Merkley said he was troubled that those races saw a big influx of independent advertising campaigns funded by wealthy and corporate donors who in many cases could keep their identities secret, in part as a result of the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

The Center for Public Integrity found that independent groups spent almost as much on TV advertising in the Senate races this year, a total of $197 million, as did the candidates, who spent about $215 million.

Merkley praised himself for criticizing industrialists Charles and David Koch, who established one political group, Freedom Partners, that spent more than $1.5 million in the state attacking Merkley before giving up on the race at the end of September.

"Here in Oregon, I chose to highlight the their involvement directly, punch them in the nose if you will," said Merkley, who handily defeated Republican Monica Wehby in his race.

However, Merkley was not the only Democratic senator to criticize the Koch brothers during the campaign. Google searches show it was a common theme raised by Democrats in such battleground states as Iowa, Colorado, North Carolina and Arkansas. "The Koch brothers can't buy Colorado," Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., proclaimed on his campaign website.

Merkley also said he would also continue to push for a constitutional amendment that would overturn the Citizens United decision and allow greater regulation of political spending -- which Republicans have decried as an attempt to narrow free-speech rights.

Merkley also criticized the IRS regulations allowing charitable groups to spend some of their money on political activity, which he charged subverts the intent of the law. Wehby had criticized him during the campaign for joining other Democrats in asking the IRS to crack down on political activities by charitable groups, saying it was unfairly aimed at conservative groups.

Merkley repeated many of the populist themes of his campaign, which he said involves fighting for working families against monied interests. But he also said he can get things done in the minority by finding areas of agreement with Republicans.

He also said that he continues to curtailing the filibuster rules and that his feelings haven't changed now that he is in the minority. "Not at all," he said.

-- Jeff Mapes