ALEC by any other name is still ALEC

Cap Times’ Steven Elbow gave us all an interesting heads up over ALEC’s “new image” and new name. Finally?

Remember when they assumed that anything they stamp “confident”...and sent to a state senator...was not subject to an open records requests? They now think if they call themselves ‘the Exchange Council’ or ‘the Council,’ no one will still use the acronym ALEC. Same name, same acronym, crazy?  

They’re so misunderstood:

“You may have noticed we are limiting the use of the acronym, ‘ALEC,’" reads the March 21, 2013, American Legislative Exchange Council newsletter. “Over the last year, the word ‘ALEC’ has been used to conjure up images of a distant, mysterious, Washington alphabet organization of unknown intentions. This misrepresentation could not be further from the truth, but that ship has sailed.”

“Please join us in referring to ‘the Exchange Council’ or ‘the Council’ and leave ‘ALEC’ to groups with nothing better to do than write press releases about our website.”

Ouch. Is ALEC trying to guilt trip us to change? Really? Odd too…

One of those groups, the Center for Media and Democracy, obtained the newsletter – titled, in giant letters, “ALEC” – among other documents as part of an open records lawsuit against state Sen. Leah Vukmir, R-Wauwautosa.