Radio National watch: When a stranger calls

I have to give the ABC credit when and where it's due. This morning, Radio National AM gave considerable coverage to a news item not calculated to win any new friends for the ALP. It concerns the leaking of an ACTU manual describing a program to target union members in marginal seats and none-too-subtly pressure them in case they are in any doubt about how to vote. The money quote is a perfect distillation of the bitterness, paranoia and self-righteousness of the professional unionist. Cold-callers who find that their subject might actually have the temerity to prefer the Coalition are advised thusly:

"It may be despicable to you that the member may agree with some of the Federal Government's policies. But avoid getting into heated arguments; such debates are likely to make the member dig their heels in."

Good advice, that. Avoid abusing someone you've just rung up at their own home, without invitation, probably while they were getting dinner or putting the kids to bed. Maybe they save that for the doorknock with baseball bats later on. Almost as sinister is the advice:

"Callers are asked to pay particular attention to the language members use, and to find out about their ambitions and if they have a family or a mortgage."

Perhaps there's also something in the manual about making knuckle-cracking noises at appropriate moments, or soft warnings about how "accidents" can happen, tsk, tsk, tsk.