Another open mike and another rightwing message-meister caught showing how propaganda gets made. Faux News host Sean Hannity was caught on tape coaching guests on his March 31 show, instructing them the tried and true GOP technique of staying on message no matter what.

The guests were two nurses who had tended the late Terri Schiavo who were brought on the show to say that Schiavo – whose cerebral cortex had filled with fluid 15 years before she died – was actually fine, not brain dead at all. (This alone should give us pause about the quality of professionals in the nursing industry today.)

“Just say, ‘I’m here to tell what I saw,'” Hannity can be heard instructing his guests. “No matter what the question, ‘I’m here to tell you what I saw. I’m here to tell you what I saw.'”

Hannity adds helpfully: “Say, ‘I’m not going to be distracted by silliness.’ How’s that? Does that help you? Look into that camera. Look at me when I’m talking.”

On the air, [One of the “nurses”] performs beautifully. “I don’t have any opinions or judgments. I was there,” she declares

After the segment ends, Hannity gushes off the air to the nurses: “We got the points out. It’s hard, this isn’t easy. But you did great, both of you. Thank you, guys. Those nurses are powerful, aren’t they?”

The story was broken last Saturday by the great Harry Shearer (who was referred to on C-Span this morning as “an investigative comedian”) on his weekly public radio extravaganza, LeShow.