Sen. John McCain Threatens Net Neutrality

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

"Net Neutrality" or "Network Neutrality" is a principle for a broadband Internet network that is free of restrictions on content, sites, or platforms, on the kinds of equipment that may be attached, and on the modes of communication allowed, as well as one where communication is not unreasonably degraded by other communication streams. Since the early 2000s advocates of net neutrality and associated rules have raised concerns about the ability of broadband providers to use their last mile infrastructure to block Internet applications and content (e.g. websites, services, protocols), particularly those of their competitors.

Neutrality proponents claim that telecom companies seek to impose a tiered service model in order to control the pipeline and thereby remove competition, create artificial scarcity, and oblige subscribers to buy their otherwise uncompetitive services. Many believe net neutrality to be primarily important as a preservation of current freedoms. Vinton Cerf, co-inventor of the Internet Protocol, Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the web, and many others have spoken out strongly in favor of network neutrality. See generally Network neutrality – Wikipedia

For an easy to understand primer, there is this video from Public Knowledge:

On October 22, 2009 the FCC voted unanimously to begin consideration of proposed rules that would protect and promote open broadband pipes to the Internet. Over the next several months, an official rule making proceeding will take place, along with public workshops and technical advisory discussions, allowing everyone to provide feedback before the Commission adopts a final set of rules. Google Public Policy Blog: Net Neutrality (Note the stakeholder not-so-neutral source).

That same day, Sen. John McCain issued a press release announcing the filing of his bogus-named bill:

SENATOR McCAIN INTRODUCES “THE INTERNET FREEDOM ACT OF 2009”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator John McCain today introduced legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from enacting rules that would regulate the Internet. The Commission will meet today to determine whether the historically open architecture and free flow of the Internet should be subject to onerous federal regulation. Specifically, the Commission will seek to impose “net neutrality” rules that would reign in the network management practices of all Internet service providers, including wireless phone companies.

This government takeover of the Internet will stifle innovation, in turn slowing our economic turnaround and further depressing an already anemic job market. Outside of health care, the technology industry is the nation’s fastest growing job market. Innovation and job growth in this sector of our economy is the key to America’s future prosperity. In 2008, while most industries were slashing jobs in the worst economy in nearly 30 years, high tech industries actually added over 77,000 good high-paying jobs.  Just this month, Google and Yahoo both released positive earnings reports.

The wireless industry exploded over the past twenty years due to limited government regulation. Wireless carriers invested $100 billion in infrastructure and development over the past three years which has led to faster networks, more competitors in the marketplace and lower prices compared to any other country. Meanwhile, wired telephones and networks have become a slow dying breed as they are mired in state and Federal regulations, universal service contribution requirements and limitations on use.

“Today I’m pleased to introduce ‘The Internet Freedom Act of 2009’ that will keep the Internet free from government control and regulation,” said Senator John McCain. “It will allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment,” McCain continued. “Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy.

Sen. John McCain, who opposed net neutrality regulations in his 2008 presidential bid, promptly introduced legislation in the Senate to block the FCC from making its proposed rules law. In a Washington Times editorial, McCain compared the rules to the government's bailouts of the auto and financial industries, as another "power grab" for control.

"These new rules should rightly be viewed by consumers suspiciously as another government power grab over a private service provided by private companies in a competitive marketplace. Does that sound familiar? It should," he wrote. FCC Votes To Create Net Neutrality Rules -Sunlight Foundation

In John McCain's "opposite world" spin, Net Neutrality becomes a "government takeover of the Internet" because of regulations to preserve Net Neutrality. The FCC rule making process poses a threat to erode that neutrality under pressure from the vested financial interests of the stakeholders. Telecommunications monopolies and other Internet Service Providers (ISP) have a vested financial interest in ending Net Neutrality in favor of allowing monopolistic practices to control content and access, as noted above.

Net Neutrality clearly has not stifled innovation. What it does do is hinder monopolistic practices in the marketplace, and that is what old Johnny Boy is really concerned about. You really didn't think he was concerned about Internet "freedom", did you?

A joint study by the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics found that John McCain is the top recipient of Telecommunications monopolies' campaign donations. Fighting net neutrality, telecom companies, outside lobbyists, cluster contributions to members of Congress (see the chart for contributions to members of Congress):

Overall, the top recipient of the largess was Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who took in $894,379 (many of those contributions were directed to his 2008 presidential campaign). The telecom interests also targeted House and Senate leaders: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was next with $341,089, followed by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. ($275,275), Senate Finance Committee chair Max Baucus, D-Mont. ($248,999) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell ($198,972).

Broadband providers have attempted to enlist members of Congress in an effort to block action on net neutrality rules by the FCC. Verizon and AT&T have been particularly active in this effort; they also were the sources of all the clustered contributions among broadband providers, with AT&T and its outside lobbyists combining to give to 110 members, followed by Comcast (105 members) and Verizon (96 members).

John McCain's ties to the Telecommunications monopolies run long and deep. "Of the 66 current or former lobbyists working for the Arizona senator or raising money for his presidential campaign, 23 have lobbied for telecommunications companies in the past decade, Senate lobbying disclosures show." Telecom Lobbyists Tied to McCain (see chart of advisers who are Telecom lobbyists):

McCain is a senior member of the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the telecom industry and the Federal Communications Commission. He has repeatedly pushed industry-backed legislation since 2000, particularly during a second stint as committee chairman from 2003 through 2005. His efforts to eliminate taxes and regulations on telecommunications services won him praise from industry executives.

People who lobbied for telecom companies on those issues include McCain's campaign manager, his deputy manager, his finance chief, his top unpaid political adviser and his Senate chief of staff. Telecom companies have paid the lobbying firms that employed those top five McCain advisers more than $4.4 million since 1999, lobbying records show.

And who could forget that Verizon and AT&T provided the McCain's with their very own cell towers at their Sedona area "ranch." Exclusive: Verizon and AT&T Provided Cell Towers for McCain Ranch – Washington Post Investigations

During the 2000 presidential campaign, McCain flew to several fund-raisers in a corporate jet belonging to Paxson Communications, which had business before his Senate committee. A study by the Center for Public Integrity showed that McCain received more than $2.5 million in contributions from telecommunications and media companies between 1996 and 2002, the bulk of the money during his unsuccessful 2000 presidential bid. Pinocchios for John McCain – washingtonpost.com

And then there was the imbroglio with the New York Times that the prurient interests of the media villagers made all about an alleged sexual affair with Telecom lobbyist Vicki Iseman. The actual substance of the story was about the undue influence that telecommunications lobbyists exert over John McCain and the special favors he does for his biggest campaign contributors. John McCain Lied About Meeting Lobbyist Iceman and Her Client:

Last week, John McCain was confronted with allegations that he had a sexual affair with Vicki Iseman, a lobbyist for telecommunications corporations, as much of John McCain’s staff is now, and that he had done special favors for Iseman’s clients, who had business with McCain’s committee, the Senate Commerce Committee. Senator McCain held a press conference first thing Friday morning to deny that anything wrong at all had taken place.

One of the denials that John McCain made: McCain said on Friday that he had never, ever, ever met with Vicki Iseman and her clients. It didn’t happen even one time, McCain said.

When John McCain said that, he lied.

John McCain’s own words from a 2002 deposition contradict his latest claims. In that deposition, John McCain admitted that he met with Vicki Iseman and her client, Lowell Paxson, to talk about a letter that McCain sent to the FCC, about telecommunications matters, in order to achieve financial advantage for Paxson’s company – Paxson Communications, now ION Media.

Lowell Paxson also says that he went to meet with John McCain, thanks to Vicki Iseman’s influence. “I remember going there to meet with him,” says Paxson. Paxson says he told McCain, “I would love for you to write a letter.” Paxson also admits that Iseman was probably at the meeting: “Was Vicki there? Probably. The woman was a professional. She was good. She could get us to meetings.”

In his deposition, McCain admitted to being Paxson’s advocate with the FCC: “I said I would be glad to write a letter asking them to act.” In fact, Senator McCain was so eager to do the bidding of Paxson and Iseman that he wrote two letters to the FCC.

Those letters were not regarded as at all typical. In fact, the FCC rebuked John McCain, calling the letters “highly unusual.”

The relationship went both ways. Lowell Paxson did favors for John McCain too. John McCain flew around the country on Paxson’s private jet, doing political business to prepare for this presidential campaign. Paxson also made gave campaign donations to John McCain.

Lowell Paxson’s company owns 60 television stations around the country (see if there’s one in a city near you), poised to influence congressional elections – and the presidential election – in every region of the USA. The company also owns 2 television stations in Washington, D.C., able to exert heavy pressure on inside-the-beltway political opinion.

Sen. John McCain is the corrupt tool of the telecommunications monopolies for whom he has been doing special favors, and receiving favors in return, for many years. Sen. McCain is a poster boy for political corruption.

And yet our local McMedia here in Arizona will give McCain undue credit and praise for his Campaign Finance Reforms (most of which have already been gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is poised to gut the rest of the law later this term), reforms which were meant for everyone else but not John McCain, as his repeated violations of FEC campaign finance rules during his 2008 presidential campaign made clear. (Spare me the nonsense about the FEC cleared him. The FEC is ineffectual and politicized and has not enforced the law for years. It is a sham.)

Sen. John McCain is no friend of Internet "freedom" and Net Neutrality. He is the corrupt tool of the telecommunications monopolies. The Rachel Maddow Show discussed what McCain's bogus-named bill would actually do – just the opposite of what he claims.