On December 6, the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) "conducted a communications workshop for external affairs and management staff of the Federal Emergency

"It's an oddly familiar pattern of deception," writes Dan Froomkin.

The Delaware-based group Common Sense Issues is using automated phone calls to Iowa voters to talk up Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee and spread negative information about his rivals. Mitt Romney's campaign has asked the Iowa attorney general to investigate the push poll calls.