Good for the gander, good for the goose

Patrick McIlheran is shocked, shocked! that Sheldon Wasserman doesn't wear a big D on his chest as he goes door to door in his North Shore State Senate district, looking for votes.

Paddy Mac makes it sound like there's something unusual about that.

But if Paddy would take his head out of wherever he's had it lately, he'd discover that just about no candidates -- even for President -- advertise their political affiliation, unless they're running in a primary.

If you're someone who's going to vote for an R or a D because the candidate is an R or a D, you'll find their parties conveniently on the ballot on Election Day.

Meanwhile, one has to wonder whether Paddy has subjected Alberta Darling, Wasserman's opponent, to the same scrutiny.

In a year where Democrats seem poised to ride Obama's coattails, many Republicans running for the legislature are managing to mention even (gasp!) Gov. Jim Doyle in a positive way and brag about working with Democrats. A case in point, from the Capital Times:

REPUBLICAN RUNS ON DOYLE'S COATTAILS:
Assemblyman Brett Davis touts work with Democratic governor

New radio advertisements for Republican Assemblyman Brett Davis, who is in a tight race for re-election in a Madison area district that is likely to vote overwhelmingly for Democratic presidential nominee Obama, attempt to dull the edges of his party affiliation. How so? They repeatedly mention how Davis has worked with Gov. Jim Doyle, the Democrat Republicans love to hate.

The town of Oregon legislator, who represents the 80th Assembly District (His website), has scrubbed references to his Republican roots from his campaign against Democrat John Waelti, a retired agricultural economics professor with a Swiss name in a district where a lot of the swing voters live in and around New Glarus. From here on out for Davis, it's all "independence," "independent" and "working with Doyle."

The Davis strategy is a smart one, as he will need ticket splitting to win a substantial number of voters who have cast ballots for Obama and popular Democratic Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin to switch over the Republican side of the ballot when they get to the Assembly contest.

Watch for more Republicans to be singing the praises of Obama and Doyle if McCain stops campaigning in the state.

Davis, by the way, votes the party line in the Assembly 97% of the time.

Wanna bet whether you'll find the word Republican on any Darling signs, literature or TV spots?