Net Neutrality Bill Passes House Committee

"Controversial legislation that would prohibit major telecommunications and cable companies from potentially blocking or degrading competing services on the Internet cleared the House Judiciary Committee today on a 20-13 vote. The measure, sponsored by Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner and ranking member John Conyers, D-Mich., was amended before the final vote with a manager's amendment clarifying that it is not intended to block the use of parental controls, which some observers said could occur under the original language." Meanwhile the cry-baby telcos sent another astroturf spokeperson to cry foul. Scott Cleland, chairman of NETCompetition.org, in a letter to Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens and Co-chairman Daniel Inouye reveals "how network neutrality hinders Internet competition, provides corporate welfare for companies like Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and eBay and increases government control of the Internet.... Net Neutrality is anti-competition." In the link to his bio in the press release, the logos of TW, VZ, and the rest of the USTA and MSOs. Talk about stupid.