Lobbyist Jack Abramoff sets up and funds coalitions of conservative organizations that then work to push the agendas of his clients. Gambling, sweatshops, you name it and he represents them in Washington.

"Very marginal" is the way Steve Lett, president of a now-defunct dot-com company, describes the result of his company's initial experience with public relations. PaperStudio.com outsourced its PR functions to a so-called virtual agency that stitches together a flock of PR freelancers. One year and $125,000 later, PaperStudio had gained a paltry 15 clips for its press kit.

"This month, April 2000, biotech biggies Aventis CropScience, BASF, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Monsanto, Novartis, and Zeneca Ag Products, in conjunction with their trade association, launched at $50-million, multi-year, North American PR campaign to improve public understanding and acceptance of biotechnology, particularly genetically modified foods," notes PR pro and right-wing ideologue Ross Irvine (not to be confused with right-wing ideologue Reed Irvine).