The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy™ is revving up its media machine in response to news that Democrats intend to run a campaign for president against Republican John McCain. What gall! Unable to tolerate such impudence, Republicans, and their patrons in the press, are brewing a full-scale whine with a pungent aroma of fear and a nose for hypocrisy.

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The Internet's Chronicle Of Media Decay.

I couldn't find this diaried elsewhere, so…

Republican pollster and strategist extraordinaire Frank Luntz was a guest on Bill Maher's Real Time last Friday. Luntz is obnoxious, but crafty. So I wasn't sure what to think when he said "I can beat Hillary Clinton. Obama, I don't know how to beat."

Disingenuous concern trolling? Candid moment? You decide. [Updated: poll added due to several requests]

"She'll garnish your wages." If Senator Hillary Clinton is chosen as the Democratic nominee, mark my words: This will be a lead slogan for the Republican opposition.

And it goes to show that despite all her talk of "experience," Clinton has not learned much about politics since the early 90s.

Let me go back a couple of steps to provide some context to the argument.

Hillary Clinton and her supporters regularly tout the Senator and former First Lady as the candidate of experience.

But I submit that she is the candidate of bad experience, and of failing to learn from experience. And on this subject, the topic of how to promote universal health care in this country is Exhibit A.

In the early 90s, as everyone knows, Hillary Clinton tried but failed to reform the nation's health care system. An admirable goal... but secrecy and political hamhandedness abetted the health care industry, its lobbyists, and its paid defenders in Congress, who sent her plan down in flames.

Clinton, while touting her experience, spins this negative example as a "learning experience," one that redoubled her commitment to getting it right the next time.

But has she really learned from her mistake? Read on...

According to a poll conducted by Frank Luntz, Republicans have more sex than Democrats. And the Republicans have the credit card receipts for proof. Supposedly, 55 percent of Republicans have sex at least once a week, while only 43 percent of the Democrats get regular exercise. Actually, the survey only proves that Republicans are more eager to lie. But we already knew that. The party of James Craig will brag of its "prowess" and the party of Bill Clinton will insist on its chastity.

thanks but no thanks, Frank Luntz.

Frank Luntz used the same guy twice for two Republican focus groups. Not everyone from each focus group gets to speak, but Frank Luntz called on this guy to speak both times. Fox propaganda at it's best.

I'm not talking about Fox's actual 'debate', that portion needs little explanation. Heck, the state's own party pulled out of the forum. As other bloggers have already noted, it was the usual Fox lovefest where the candidates pretty much got to give their stump speech with little challenge from the 'moderator' Wallace. I'm talking about the panel of 30 'undecided' New Hampshire voters they went to after the 'debate' for some 'real peoples'' opinions.

http://digg.com/...

The DCCC's fundraising efforts have been successful enough that they can look beyond defending seats of vulnerable incumbents, so they're looking at targeting key open seats, currently held by Republicans. These include state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson in Illinois’ 11th district; state Sen. John Adler in New Jersey’s 3rd; state Assemblywoman and 2006 nominee Linda Stender in New Jersey’s 7th; Franklin County Commissioner and 2006 nominee Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio’s 15th; state Sen. John Boccieri in Ohio’s 16th; and most exciting for us, Gary Trauner in Wyoming’s at-large.

In an interview with Roll Call [subscription required], DCCC chair Chris Van Hollen said

"We don’t have to spend all of our time worrying about what the Republican committee is going to be able to throw at our incumbents. There’s no doubt that allows us some flexibility," Van Hollen told Roll Call. "It has given us some room to maneuver. Definitely."

The fundraising numbers for the DCCC and NRCC are due to be released today but were not available at press time on Wednesday. However, the NRCC had a paltry $2.5 million in the bank at the end of October, compared with $28.3 million for the DCCC.

This is great news for Trauner, who proved his mettle in his very close race with Barbara Cubin in 2006 (losing by just .5%), and who is the most recent addition to our Blue Majority page. Last year, Cubin spent almost $1.3 million (86 percent of it from PACs and the party) to Trauner's $930K, 82 percent of which came from individuals. Individuals like us. With the DCCC stepping up this cycle, Gary can be assured that he won't face the same kind of spending gap as last year. And the GOP is forced to pour a lot more money into what should be for them a "safe" seat.

Lest anyone think that the netroots and the DCCC are pouring money into a sink hole, consider what Frank Luntz has to say about the race (yes, that Frank Luntz):

Luntz, who has been most often associated with the Republican Party, was not as certain about whether the Wyoming GOP can hang onto the U.S. House seat to be vacated by incumbent Barbara Cubin.

"In this current environment, I don't count on anything anymore," he said.

"Wyoming is not as Republican as people think it is," Luntz added. "Voters have such a deep independent streak, and they don't like Washington."...

"Do you realize how angry the American people are right now? They're angry at the war. They're angry at the economy. They're angry at illegal immigration," he said. They also are angry at the waste and corruption in Washington.

I talked with Gary this morning, and in many ways he's more excited about securing the Blue Majority endorsement.

The support of the everyday people through the netroots means a lot. There may be some issues where we disagree, but their financial support will make a huge difference going forward.... I welcome the DCCC's support, but I'm still running a race for the people of Wyoming and what matters to them. That's doing the right thing for the people of Wyoming and our country, and I'm glad the DCCC willing to stand behind that....

For me, I'm optimistic, buoyantly optimistic. It's more clear than ever that people aren't happy with the path we're on, with the representation that they have. It's gotten worse since 2006. We need representatives who are willing to be leaders and tell it straight.

That's a true Wyoming sentiment if I've ever heard one.

On the web:
Gary Trauner for Congress
Blue Majority ActBlue page

Race tracker wiki: WY-AL

Tomorrow Mitt Romney will speak about his Mormon faith. Today a focus group is telling him what he believes.

Pollster and candidate trainer Frank Luntz recruited 15 insurance agents from a Rotary Club luncheon to find out what they wanted in a Mormon.

How could this be?!  This is indeed breaking news, because it may very well be the first time FoxNews has done something right - er... correctly.

This comes on the heals of the CNN blunder in reporting a lot of misinformation about young people and the youth vote in 2008.  Add to that Naomi Wolf and Courtney Martin and you're ready for your own nuclear meltdown of frustration.

This diary is a News Corpse Twofer. Since we only get one diary per day, I combined two stories that I thought would be of interest to dKos readers.

We begin with news that Tucker Carlson is precariously teetering on his cable perch.

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In Frank Luntz Democratic Focus Group Obama was the "overwhelming" winner of last night's debate and others agree overwhelmingly that Obama was the winner of the debate last night (Video).

MSNBC - (Howard Fineman):

She talked about the process. And also that was the one time where Obama turned toward her, what we used to call in old debate language, the pivot, remember that? He turned toward her and he said look, this will not stand because if you're claiming the presidency based on your being the first lady, you've got to come clean on that. I thought that was his best debating point that he's made in any of these debates so far."

Frank Luntz may have tipped his hand with respect to the rhetoric he and the GOP will use if Hillary Clinton becomes the Democratic Candidate.

I noticed this comment first on Real Time Bill Maher on May 11, 2007:

Starting 3:40 minutes into the clip, Luntz lets go with this bukkake of bullshit:

I learned my trade from Bill Clinton ... and ...
I watched how he communicated
I watched the language that he used
He felt your pain [referring to Paula Poundstone]
and he felt your pain [referring to Arianna Huffington]
He caused my pain

My immediate response was "How were you ever pained by Bill Clinton?"

But then I noticed ... [more below the fold]

(Thefos and bobnbob's most excellent Obama adventure series)

Before I delve into my recent Obama experience, I feel that I must emphasize 3 points.  Let’s call them "disclaimers," shall we?

1. I think about Barack Obama and how campaigning must be taking a toll on him and his family.  I think that Barack must be desperately missing his girls and that they probably do not understand the magnitude of what he is doing.  They probably just want to sit on their daddy’s lap, maybe read a book together or just play with him.  I imagine him trying to balance his job as a Senator with the demands of campaigning and time with his family.  I think that his family is getting the short end of the stick; at least temporarily.

2 & 3 after the fold...

After Abu G resigned with the statement that public service is "Honorable and noble," I got to thinking about those words.  Bush uses them...a lot.  Wordsmithing is always one of the most fun aspects of breaking down spin, Frank Luntzbeing one of the more elite voices in our current media state.

So when Gonzo used those words, it sent a chill down my spine.  I think these people really think that we should have a dictator or king.  

(ePluribusMedia OhioNews Bureau)

The GOP polling strategist who says it’s not what people say that’s important but what they hear, hopes GOP presidential hopefuls hear his latest message about how they can reverse their political fortunes in 2008.

In spite of the increasing uphill battle GOP candidates face in distancing themselves from eight years of a bloated, incompetent Bush White House that wants endless war no matter what the cost in lives or treasure for Americans or anyone else and that acts like it’s the only branch of government that matters, Frank Luntz,  author of the book "Words That Work: It’s not What You Say, It’s What People Hear," offers a "comeback strategy" to Republicans in an op-ed story in the Los Angeles Times that offers a sliver of hope to the all-male, all-white revue.

Cross-posted at Talking Stick Rules.

This week, two influential Republican media figures garnered attention. Over the years, one has sought notoriety and scandal, while the other has subtly lurked below the radar screen. The former is providing cover for the latter - and Democrats need to understand the danger.

Ann Coulter has slithered her way back from France (yes, believe it or not she vacationed in the land of baguettes and patisseries) to reinsert herself LOUDLY (and obscenely) into the American political dialogue. Frank Luntz, the spinmeister extraordinaire, also surfaced and made waves when PBS announced he would be conducting a focus group during this Thursday's Democratic presidential forum at Howard University. The difference is (and this is big, folks) Ann wants the spotlight while Frank most assuredly doesn't. Sadly, we've given them both what they want.

We should be focusing on Frank and ignoring Ann.