Scott McClellan is making more news outside of the White House than he ever did when he was there. With the release of What Happened, pundits and politicians alike are questioning his motives and veracity. But putting all that aside, how well did this communications professional handle his own communications?

In late 2006, Austin citizens approved a $12 million plan to build a city-funded facility for the Town Lake Animal Center. Trouble arose when a number of groups voiced opposition to the move, saying the new shelter would be in an undesirable area of town. They went as far as filing a lawsuit against the city.

San Diego State University (SDSU) partnered with the DEA and District Attorney's Office to crack down on drug use, which had infiltrated the university. The DEA launched a drug bust on May 6, titled Operation Sudden Fall, and netted 96 people, 75 of which were students.

Government agencies are increasingly making online tactics part of their outreach to various audiences.

Inevitably, reporters and Democratic opposition researchers are delving into the backgrounds of McCain's advisers, most recently examining the easily accessible lobbying records of chief McCain adviser Charlie Black.

Merck's $58 million payout should be a lesson to Big Pharma and its marketers. Although the pharmaceutical industry and PR agencies serving clients are eager to get into more social media work, this case will hinder those efforts.

Sara Fritz retired in 2004, following a long career in Washington with the Los Angeles Times and other publications, and became an author and freelance writer. She spoke with PRWeek about her in-depth series for the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity on the influence of third-party groups on presidential elections.

We couldn't pinpoint it initially, then, over lunch, we had a simultaneous revelation: we're experiencing acute déjà vu. When we were employed by a large PR conglomerate, we'd benefitted from the dot-com boom, endured the bust, and then weathered 9-11.

This year, PRWeek will visit eight cities where an industry close to that respective region will be discussed. For each event, leading PR pros from a variety of firms, companies, and other organizations will gather in a roundtable discussion about the issues affecting them and their peers. Keith O'Brien and Alexandra Bruell were in Boston to discuss digital PR.

Republican third-party groups are sharpening their knives in anticipation of an Obama nomination, Newsweek reports.