Mike Allen’s Playbook at Politico.com has been a leader in online political-digest promotion, teaming up with companies such as Starbucks and Qualcomm in a variety of marketing initiatives. (See: Politico’s series of political-thumbsucker panel discussions at Starbucks locations across D.C.)

At first, Politico diligently flagged the Playbook sponsorships, but lately they’ve just been embedded in the digest’s text.

Exhibit A, from Monday’s edition:

** A message from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency could take away your financial choices. Learn more at http://www.StoptheCFPA.com. **

Even more egregious was this later pitch:

** The proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency Act would create a new government bureaucracy with sweeping authority going far beyond financial services regulation. Virtually every business that extends credit to American consumers would be affected, including neighborhood groceries and even funeral homes. CFPA would threaten the privacy of consumer financial information and take away consumers choices. This is not consumer protection, it¹s more big government. Learn more at http://www.StoptheCFPA.com  <http://www.StoptheCFPA.com/> . **

Forget that. Stop PoliticoSellOut.com.