The DCI Group, a lobbying and public relations firm known for creating front groups for industry clients and Republican campaigns, is behind a new anti-health reform front group, the Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights (CPPR). "CPPR has been organizing lobbying efforts against health reform and publishing op-eds across the country with misinformation about the public option," reports Think Progress.

The U.S. Congress is alarmed at the Pentagon's "information operations" programs, including efforts to win "hearts and minds" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"You can't pretend like you are broadcasting news when it is a paid advertisement," said Senator Claire McCaskill, urging the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against "ads that mimic newscasts, with actors or even news anchors from a TV station," reports Broadcasting & Cable.