Alberta Darling's New Campaign Strategy

Greg Borowski has a post on All Politics at JSOnline in which he covers a recent forum between Alberta Darling and Sheldon Wasserman. His story remarks on how each candidate stands on various issues:

• Darling agrees with Wasserman in supporting SeniorCare
• She also agrees with Wasserman in support expanding FamilyCare (for the record, I disagree with both of them on this subject)
• They both think that more money should be devoted to hiring counselors to help seniors navigate the bureaucratic red tape regarding benefits
• Darling echoes Wasserman's support for the ombudsman program to provide advocacy for seniors and their families.

When asked a question on another subject, Darling is quoted as saying, "You're not going to find much disagreement here either."

Darling went so far as to parrot Wassserman when he pointed out that he even voted to override vetoes by Governor Jim Doyle. Of course, Darling had to go back all the way to an override vote of a veto of Tommy Thompson, who has been out of the governor's chair for eight years.

When Wasserman noted that he is maintaining a full-time practice as a medical physician, Darling countered hat she used to be a "citizen leader." When I Googled "citizen leader" the best I could come up with is that it is another term for "community organizer."

And we all know how Republicans feel about community organizers.

Apparently, what Mr. Borowski missed is that Darling revealed her new campaign strategy. She is hoping to retain her Republican seat by running as a Democrat.

Why Sarah Palin Is Going After Community Organizers

As I wrote about the other day, Sarah Palin in her scripted speech at the Republic National Convention (Slogan: I'm With Stupid), she attacked and belittled community organizers. Understandably, the community organizers were more than a little upset.

When she first made the speech, I thought it was just one of her many cheap shots at Barack Obama. But then, in their first campaign stop after the convention, in Cedarburg, WI, she made the same attack again.

It dawned on me that this isn't about Obama at all. This is about Palin. She really does hate community organizers. The question then was: Why?

Well, it is because it was community organizers that have repeated thwarted her attempts to be the petty tyrant she wants to be.

When she first took office as Mayor of Wasilla, she tried to get some books censored. When the town librarian absolutely refused, Palin tried to fire her, claiming it was some sort of loyalty test.

From Anne Kilkenney, who's email is becoming the hottest thing in the Intertubes:

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin’s attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

In other words, the community got organized, and made Palin back down.

Even before she became governor, and started up the whole Troopergate issue, she tried to get her ex-brother-in-law, Mike Wooten, fired. The allegations against Wooten were investigated and all but one were found to be unsubstantiated. For the one infraction that Wooten was found to have committed, he was suspended for ten days. The union (another form of a community organization) fought the the suspension and had it reduced to five days.

Now this same union has filed an ethics complaint against Palin, accusing her of gaining access herself or for her aides, to go through confidential files:

"It's apparent to us that the governor or someone on her staff had direct access
to his personnel file, as well as his workers' comp file, and those are
protected," said John Cyr, executive director of the Alaska Public Safety
Employees Association.

This, of course, only makes it more difficult for her to become the Vice-President.

So, you see, Sarah Palin really hates community organizers. They keep holding her responsible to follow the law, and they keep thwarting her attempts to become Empress.

The fine folks at One Wisconsin Now have put together an on-line letter to be sent to the McCain-Palin campaign, demanding that they issue an apology for her smears against people that are trying to help their communities. I encourage everyone to sign it.