Trust Us, We’re Upbeat

In public communications on energy issues, Bush Administration officials are following to the letter the “messaging” advice of Republican pollster Frank Luntz.

Luntz is the brains behind such misleading Bush frames as the “Clear Skies Initiative” and the “Healthy Forest Initiative.” Among his many recommendations, Luntz suggests using the term “exploration” over “drilling” when discussing drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

Lo and behold, when President Bush spoke about his energy bill May 16 at a BioDiesel Refinery in Virginia, here is what he said: “To make this country less dependent on foreign oil, Congress needs to authorize pro-growth, pro-job, pro-environment exploration of ANWR.”