A recent U.S. Labor Department ruling against a whistleblower states that the department, which "has jurisdiction over environmental whistle-blower cases," only recognizes whistleblower protections in the "clean air and solid waste-disposal acts, not laws governing clean water, drinking water, toxic substances and hazardous waste." A department spokesperson said the wording does not reflect "any change in policy or practice." Environmental advocates and watchdog groups aren't so sure. The Government Accountability Project's legal director called the ruling "the latest attack in a systematic war to gut the environmental whistle-blowers' statutes." The 1989 Whistleblower Protection Act covers all federal employees, but only covers disclosures related to "an imminent danger." In 2005, the Justice Department declared the Clean Water Act's whistleblower protections invalid. The Environmental Protection Agency has said "it doesn't recognize the protections in any of the six major environmental laws."

As mentioned in a previous Spin, a Wisconsin branch of the AT&T astroturf group TV4US is "backing a bill to deregulate the state's cable TV franchise system." TV4US recently gave all 132 Wisconsin state legislators thick binders filled with names of state residents who it claims support the cable franchise bill. However, the list includes two lawmakers who voted against the bill in the state Assembly. "Apparently I couldn't convince myself," joked state Rep. Joe Parisi. The other legislator, state Rep. Sondy Pope Roberts, "said she made the discovery after a constituent called to say her husband's name was also erroneously included. ... Pope Roberts said she is now skeptical of the entire binder." Parisi questions the "piles of letters that all look alike that are generated by a large lobby group spending thousands and thousands of dollars." TV4US Wisconsin's Thad Nation (a PR professional and political consultant) couldn't explain why Pope Roberts was listed, but said Parisi's name might have been included because he signed up for email updates on the group's website.