This is behavior that’s completely ok in a political operative, or for a candidate, or even for lobbying group. When an organization that considers itself a News group regularly hires focus groups and Frank Luntz to spin the news into the most negative version then they gallop so far beyond the pale of objectivity that truth has no meaning for them unless of course, Frank Luntz focus groups it.

So when you watch Fox news then it’s important to remember that if the issue is more than a week old that someone like Frank Lutz has focus grouped it for Fox News and that you are getting the bumper stickerized view, not real news.

seattlepi.com

The memo is a roadmap on how to subtly slant news, and get the right wing’s “amen corner” fired up and ready to go.

“Subject: friendly reminder: lets not slip back into calling the ‘public option’,” wrote Salmon.

“1) Please use the term ‘government-run health insurance’ or, when brevity is a concern, ‘government option’ whenever possible; 2) When it is necessary to use the term ‘public option’ (which is, after all, firmly ensconced in the nation’s lexicon) use the qualifier ‘so-called’ as in “the so-called public option’.”

The timely advice came soon after Republican pollster Frank Luntz had offered on-air counsel to Fox host Sean Hannity.

“If you call it a public option, the American people are split,” Luntz said. “If you call it a government option, the public is overwhelmingly against it.”

“A grat point, and from now on, I’m going to call it the government option because that is what it is,” replied Hannity, getting the message. Soon, his boss did too.

Luntz is famous for writing memos on tactics for spinning issues, particularly on how to seed doubt in the public’s mind. And he gives sales advice, telling House Republicans how to market Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “Contract With America.”

Of course, both sides massage their message. Bill Clinton used to pour over the crosstabs of polls that test-marketed not only themes, but slogans and possible wording of speeches.