Earl Sherwood understands why the Republican Party would try everything in its power these days to rally supporters in Maine who can help get President Bush re-elected.

What with Bush’s approval rating dropping on both his handling of the Iraq war and the economy, it’s no surprise to Sherwood, a self-professed political junkie, that the Republican National Committee would want to enlist a core of backers in an important swing state such as Maine. But after receiving four batches of personalized mail from the Republicans, including pictures of the president and first lady who express their heartfelt thanks for his commitment to the Republican ideal, Sherwood figures the GOP has gone too far.

“The Republicans are either very confused or very desperate,” said Sherwood, a 71-year-old Brewer resident who is the assistant city assessor.

Sherwood, you see, is a Democrat through and through. He has been a registered Democrat since the 1950s, in fact, when he cast his first ballot for Edmund Muskie as Maine’s governor. And he’s much more than your average Democrat, whose entire political life is limited to showing up at the polls on important election days. Sherwood spent four years as the chairman of the Penobscot County Democratic Committee, and is now running for a state Senate seat from District 31.

“As a Democrat, I might add,” Sherwood said with gleeful defiance.

Which is why he was baffled when the RNC sent him an invitation a couple of months ago to become a charter member of the Bush-Cheney ’04 Team, along with a glossy photo of the president hard at work in the Oval Office.

“To Earl Sherwood,” the president’s inscription read, “Thank you for your support of the Republican National Committee. Grass-roots leaders like you are the key to building a better, stronger, more secure future for our nation and all Americans.”

Well, Sherwood likes to think of himself as a grass-roots leader dedicated to building a better America. And the best way he knows to do that, he said, is to unseat the very president who can’t seem to compliment him enough for his support. So Sherwood promptly wrote the Republican brass to inform them of the mix-up and insist they were barking up the wrong tree if they thought they were going to get a dime from him.

“I’ve never contributed anything to the Republicans but aggravation,” said the proud Democrat. “I told them to get me off their mailing list and to send me a picture of the real president, Al Gore. I figured that would do it.”

But the RNC paid no attention – even when he wrote again – because Sherwood got three more earnest requests to put his money and political savvy to work against the president’s foes. The last suitable-for-framing photo was of a smiling Bush and first lady Laura, who again sent Sherwood their best wishes and praise.

“I don’t know what to make of it,” he said. “It’s not logical. Then again, isn’t Republican logic something of an oxymoron?”

Sherwood, who was irritated at first by all the misplaced attention, has since learned to have fun with it. He has shown the photos at Momma Baldacci’s restaurant, Bangor’s unofficial Democratic headquarters, and told the party faithful to let the governor know he was switching sides. He also blames the Republicans for being less than sincere in their courtship.

“If I’m supposed to be such a sterling and important member of their team,” Sherwood said, “how come I didn’t get an invitation to Dick Cheney’s recent appearance in Bangor? I feel snubbed.”