Brian Darling,  who most recently was general counsel to former Sen. Bob Smith, R-N.H., has joined the Alexander Strategy Group. Darling, 37, co-founded and co-chaired the Conservative Working Group, a weekly legislative strategy meeting of conservative congressional staffers. Previously, he served as a counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee and as an aide to then-Sens. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., and Steve Symms, R-Idaho. Darling is originally from Massachusetts, but some of his most interesting political experiences occurred in Florida. When the Elián González controversy was brewing in January 2000, Smith happened to be there for meetings about the Everglades restoration. Smith and Darling visited the home where the young Cuban refugee was staying-an experience that persuaded them to draft legislation that would have provided Elián with permanent residency. That fall, Darling worked on the Bush-Cheney recount team in Miami-Dade County. In one incident, Darling says, he successfully demanded that nine votes sought by backers of Al Gore be denied. The Alexander Strategy Group was founded by Ed Buckham and Tony Rudy, former aides to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas. It is affiliated with the law firm Swidler Berlin Shereff Friedman and its communications and lobbying subsidiary, the Harbour Group.