The Democrats need to borrow a page from the Republican propaganda machine playbook and come up with better scary catch phrases - you know, like "death panels" - that can be repeated over and over again ad nauseum in the media until they catch on. They need to avoid words like "unions" that the Republicans have somehow managed to turn from positives into boogymen.
For instance, instead of a "war on government regulation," they could say "The Republican war on safety." Or "pro-poison" instead of "attacks on the environment." Or how about their "Concerted attacks on employees" instead of workers or unions. More people identify with being an "employee" than do with being a "worker."
Longer ones which might also work: "Republicans are the party of freedom - the freedom to lie, cheat, steal and polute."