Lessons in Astroturfing

The GOP eats its own in grand virtual fashion:

Earlier today, Jonathan Martin pointed out the new www.phoneyFred.org website:

Clearly, though, this is no amateur effort. The volume of information and the way that it’s sourced reeks of a grasstops hit-job. Repeatingly calling Thompson "Phoney Fred" in the on-message style of political operatives, the site offers up unflattering quotes with the standard attribution style of oppo everywhere.

Turns out it wasn’t amateur at all. According to WaPo, it was put together by Mitt Romney’s paid consultants:

Nowhere on the site does it indicate who is responsible for it. But a series of inquiries leads directly to the website of Under the Power Lines, the political consulting firm of Warren Tompkins, Romney’s lead consultant in South Carolina.

These folks will inevitably do the Democrats work for them.

MORE: From TPM.

EVEN MORE: Team Thompson rebuts.