The major PR contract for the Multi National Corps-Iraq was awarded to Iraqex, a "business clearinghouse company formed specifically to provide a swath of services in the war-torn country." The Washington DC-based Lincoln Alliance Corporation, a "business 'intelligence' company that handles services from 'political campaign intelligence' to commercial real estate in Iraq," set up Iraqex last year. Iraqex has four Iraq offices, including in Baghdad and Basra. Iraqex will develop video and print publications, purchase TV and radio time, and oversee public affairs and advertising for MNC-I, to ensure "that the Coalition gains widespread Iraqi acceptance of its core themes and messages."

"Food industry lobbyists met privately with Bush administration officials 10 times while the government was crafting rules to protect the food supply from bioterrorism." The Center for Science in the Public Interest stated, "The result is regulations that the industry likes, but that don't fully protect the public interest." The Grocery Manufacturers of America, Altria Group and others lobbied to weaken proposed regulations requiring importers to notify the Food and Drug Administration before food shipments arrive from overseas. One GMA lobbyist explained, "We all want regulations to protect against bioterrorism, but in a way to achieve the goals and allow the business to operate in an efficient manner."

In some respects, the real presidential debate will take place in cyberspace, reports Wired magazine. "The Bush campaign has launched a massive rapid-response effort called Debate Facts to rebut challenger John Kerry's assertions during the debates," writes Louise Witt. "The campaign will provide a live feed to about 5,000 conservative blogs that subscribe to its news alerts. Debate Facts is similar to the "war room" the Bush campaign and the Republican National Committee set up in Boston during the Democratic convention - only much larger and more sophisticated." Staffed with a large team of policy, Internet and PR experts, Debate Facts will work closely with Republican luminaries including Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, Rudy Giuliani and John McCainto spin the post-debate debate, using carefully crafted talking points that they have compiled into a 150-page book called The John Kerry Attack Matrix.

Venezuela has launched an advertising campaign "pitching itself as an egalitarian nirvana where petro-dollars are funneled straight to the poor," reports the New York Times. "The idea, say Venezuelan officials, is to show American business executives and policy makers that a happy country is a stable one, even if many in Venezuela would disagree." The ads were created by Underground Advertising, a small San Francisco firm that does work for non-profit and progressive organizations. "The purpose [of the ads], of course, is to show that the Chavez government has grassroots support, and counter Bush administration spin that he is a lefty commie who loves to hang out with Fidel," Kevin McCauley, an editor for the trade publication O'Dwyer's PR, told the Times. Venezuela uses the well-connected Patton Boggs firm for lobbying in Washington.

The Washington Post reports on an "unusual public-relations effort by the Pentagon and the U.S. Agency for International Development ... to improve Americans' opinions about the Iraq conflict." USAID's reports on the number of insurgent attacks are now "restricted to those who need it for security planning." The Pentagon "is sponsoring a group of Iraqi Americans and former officials from the Coalition Provisional Authority to speak at [U.S.] military bases." And "the U.S. government and a representative of President Bush's reelection campaign" were "heavily involved in drafting the speech given to Congress last week by interim Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi."