Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research

Luntz Maslanski Strategic Research is a public relations and lobbying firm founded by Frank Luntz in 1992. In June, 2008, Frank Luntz sold his company to Omnicon. After the sale, Michael Maslansky took over as Chief Executive Officer.

Luntz was known as the "Word Doctor," an coined euphemistic phrases for controversial issues. Michael Smerconish, in a blog for the Daily Beast, said of Luntz,

"Luntz is the wordsmith who coined the term 'death tax' to replace the vague notion of an estate tax. In his world, vouchers are better known as 'opportunity scholarships' and offshore oil drilling is better expressed as 'deep-sea energy exploration.' And he's the man who once advised the Bush administration to emphasize the 'lack of scientific certainty' in the global warming debate."

Global warming spin
Luntz wrote a memo recommending Republican politicians to say "climate change" instead of "global warming." He also advised, "...you need to continue to make the lack of scientific certainty a primary issue in the debate."

Reprimands & reputation for falsifying polling results
According to Salon.com, "In 1997, Luntz was formally reprimanded by the American Association for Public Opinion Research for his work polling on the GOP's 1994 'Contract with America' campaign document. Luntz told the media that everything in the contract had the support of at least 60 percent of the general public. Considering the elementary phrasing of that document (stop violent criminals, protect our kids, strong national defense), it seems almost laughably uncontroversial. But one of AAPOR's 1,400 members wasn't so amused, and filed a complaint requesting to see Luntz's research and a verification of the figure. Luntz's response? He couldn't reveal the information because of client confidentiality." 

In a March 18, 1999 deposition in the case of Ball v. Philip Morris, et al, Lydia Saad, Managing Editor for the Gallup Organization, stated her organization had reprimanded Luntz for misrepresenting polling information regarding the GOP's "Contract with America." In her testimony, Saad said, as an [3] organization we formally reprimand[ed] or sent a letter to Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster I believe in 1994. Maybe the grievance was aired in 1995. He had made statements about the public support for various elements in the Contract With America and when asked about the question wording and to ask to see the actual results he failed to produce any documentation, so as an organization we chastised him for not following the practices we espouse that all public pollsters should follow.

Sourcewatch resources

 * Frank Luntz

Contact
Luntz, Maslansky Strategic Research 1000 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 950 Arlington, Virginia 22209 Phone (703) 358-0080 Fax (703) 358-0089