And speaking of the tricks of the trade, Republican conduct during this campaign reminds us that, even within a profession, there are gradations. Here’s a dissection of the Bush family skullduggery tradition. (CBS News). And UC Berkeley’s George Lakoff, linguist extraordinaire whose consulting work is so much in demand by progressive groups in this election season that he had to shelve his research plans for his recent sabbatical, explains why the Republicans are so much better at dominating the terms of debate (and obscuring the fact that they are in control) than the Democrats. Watch for his commentary on the Republican Convention, and his forthcoming book, Don’t Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate. Lakoff advises, among other things, that progressive opponents of the current dysadministration avoid the term “War on Terror”. [My reasoning is similar in making sure that all my references to it are ironic and sarcastic in tone. Readers of FmH will recognize that, whenever I have used the term, I turn it into a product brand name “WoT®”.] For another take on the issue of word choice in political spin, see this New York Times piece. If you are writing about current political struggles, sharpen your discourse; it matters! If you are reading my discourse, refine it for me by offering criticisms and corrections whenever I become undisciplined. Let us wake up; this is one of the more important fronts on which the battle for hearts and minds is being fought.