Unmasking Astroturf

[Commentary] If you haven't been paying attention to the rise of Astroturf in Washington, in the media and at your local town hall meeting, now's the time to tune in. Astroturf front groups have been everywhere this summer -- spreading misinformation about health care reform, carbon emission caps and financial regulation. Astroturf shills, notably FreedomWorks' Dick Armey and Americans for Prosperity's Tim Phillips, surface wherever and whenever reform policies threaten the corporate or political status quo. Next on their hit list is Net Neutrality, the principle that prevents big phone and cable companies from deciding what you can and cannot do online. They're already painting new Net Neutrality legislation as an attempt to "socialize the Internet."