Halliburton's image ads make the only incidentally plausible claim that the company "has billions of dollars in contracts to rebuild Iraq and feed American troops because of 'what we know, not who we know.'" Sure, if by "what we know" you mean Dick Cheney's home phone number. Are these ads an embarrassment to Bush or to the company? Newly minted political pundit Donny Deutsch (hey, he's on CNBC!) has the perfect analogy: "This just puts a spotlight and a megaphone on the issue. Martha Stewart would not take out a paid ad and say, 'Before you buy any of my housewares, just remember I'm innocent.' It's a bizarre media strategy."

Meanwhile, the company has announced that it will stop (over)charging the Army for food preparation, at least until the "discrepancy" is resolved. A spokesman clarified: "It is important to understand that this is not any sort of ‘admission.'" Right. The spokesman continued, "It's really more of a way to make sure no one notices we're currently overcharging for fuel."

In Season of Campaigns, Halliburton Joins In [NYT]

Halliburton Voluntarily Suspends Billing For the Next Month [Halliburton.com]

Halliburton ad [Houston Chronicle]