John McCain — ‘Tech Troglodyte’ And Top Recipient Of Telecom Cash — Unveils Bill To Block Net Neutrality
John McCain — ‘Tech Troglodyte’ And Top Recipient Of Telecom Cash — Unveils Bill To Block Net Neutrality
On Thursday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) became the Republican Party’s lead man on technology issues (and probably made Glenn Beck a happy man) by introducing the “Internet Freedom Act.” The legislation would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from making sure that Internet service providers don’t create a pay-for-play system where they could selectively block or slow content and applications. McCain called these net neutrality rules a “government takeover of the Internet.” From his press release:
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.
First of all, it’s ironic that McCain cites Google and Yahoo as examples of why net neutrality rules need to be blocked. In fact, both companies have said that without such measures, the “longstanding openness of the Internet” will be threatened. From a letter they wrote to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in 2006:
Until FCC decisions made last summer, consumers’ ability to choose the content and services they want via their broadband connections was assured by regulatory safeguards. … This “innovation without permission” has fueled phenomenal economic growth, productivity gains, and global leadership for our nation’s high tech companies.
To preserve this environment, we urge the Committee to include language that directly addresses broadband network operators’ ability to manipulate what consumers will see and do online.
However, telecoms largely support blocking net neutrality rules, and McCain is a long-time friend of these businesses. McCain was the top recipient of campaign contributions from the telecom industry, taking in $894,379 in the past two years.
Even as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee from 1997 to 2001 and again from 2003 to 2005, McCain made sure to craft technology rules that benefited his campaign donors. He opposed a program designed to provide discounts to schools and libraries to connect to the Internet and supported large telecom mergers.
Of course, the GOP point man on technology issues is someone who, just last year, called himself a computer “illiterate who has to rely on my wife for all of the assistance that I can get.” In July 2008, he said he has “never felt the particular need to e-mail.” As former FCC chairman Reed Hundt has explained, “Basically, John is a technological troglodyte, and proud of it” — and we’re now supposed to trust him to shape the way we use the Internet.
Telecoms, Internet service providers -- they already have a kind of monopoly. The idea here [with net neturality] is to prevent them from abusing that monopoly. ... They want freedom all right. They want to find new ways to charge us more money. [...]Whenever there's a fight on the Internet, it's always good to side with the geeks who built the Internet, rather than the fat-cat telecom lobbyists.
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I thought he invented the Blackberry…
October 24th, 2009 at 12:34 pmJohn McCain — ‘Tech Troglodyte’ And Top Recipient Of Telecom Cash — Unveils Bill To Block Net Neutrality
– - McCain: “Neutrality? Sounds pussy, Like the Swiss. I’m against neutral anything. We need to be a bull in a china shop all the time! Patton was a wimp!”
October 24th, 2009 at 12:35 pmI trust the geeks, McCrappy can keep his wrinkled fingers away from my internet.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:35 pmHe understands all he needs to know. His corporate masters want it, after all, THEY wrote it, not him.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:37 pm.
Of course Corporate greed comes first to this man.
.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:38 pmOn Thursday, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) became the Republican Party’s lead man on technology issues
– - This is the state of today’s GOP. They commit stupidcide on a weekly basis.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pmI vote for giving Yawn McGrumpy his last airplane ride. Put him in some hot-rod fighter, strap him into the ejection seat,
October 24th, 2009 at 12:41 pmtow him into the hanger bay, and yank the ejection seat lanyard. Punch the bastard right into the overhead…
This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
He’s still pissed off that the Internet played such a huge roll in Obama’s success.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:45 pm@ 7. Sorry, I get a little carried away by that sort of proposal, regardless of whether it comes from McGrumpy or anyone else.
The only thing McGrumpy’s bill has going for it is that it will show just who has been bought off by the telecoms or hopes to suck up to them in the near future. I don’t think it will come up for a vote, but everyone should let their Senators and Representative know that the bill, or any bill that makes ‘pay for play’ changes to the ‘net should be voted down. And Harry Reid should be informed that he should NOT allow the bill to come to the floor, and if McGrumpy is trying to get to the floor via committee, it ought to be bottled up there.
There may be ways to improve the system, but the McGrumpy way ain’t it.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:49 pmanother joe, you are a liar.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:49 pmHow’s the eco-jewelry biz going?
October 24th, 2009 at 12:50 pmThank you for this post Amanda!
I don’t see any reason that we can just trust the telecoms to ‘do the right thing’ regarding access and affordability to the internet.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:50 pmStar:
October 24th, 2009 at 12:51 pmHow is Mesa and what was that other stupid Palinesque name again?
Someone who has never used the internet believes they are experts on net legislation? Clearly there is a lot of cash behind this…
http://www.sunstateactivist.org/ssablog/
October 24th, 2009 at 12:52 pmMcCain leading GOP man on the Internet and Afghanistan equally clueless on both issues
October 24th, 2009 at 12:56 pmMcCain called these net neutrality rules a “government takeover of the Internet.”
And Grampy pegs the Irony Meter yet again.
Obviously McSame doesn’t remember that the internet was developed by the government.
What a putz.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pmThis is just more twisted logic from a Republican who thinks he can couch his words with ideas about freedom, liberty, etc., and people are supposed to buy the BS.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pmWe already have one of the slowest nets around, it ranks 28th. This legislation will only make bad worse when ISPs, which are not the internet, but an access point, began charging by the packet.
October 24th, 2009 at 12:58 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Seriously, virus writers run amok with little fear of being caught, how about we start with real problems instead of clogging the pipes for profit?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:00 pmGrampy calling net neutrality a “government takeover of the internet” is a stark illustration of the bankruptcy of Republican ideas. The whole “government takeover” concept has failed to sway the majority of the public against the public option, but it’s all the Republicans have.
At this point, they’re like lab rats who have been conditioned to press a button when they want a pellet, the pellets long ago stopped coming but they’re still frantically pressing that button.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:01 pmDon’t be stupid beefeater..Can you just try?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:02 pmBeefswallower, can we get a “Barry(fist-tap)” from ya?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:03 pmIf the Repubs had somehow managed to stay in power in 2006 (say, through a terror attack or a new generation of vote-flipping software), you would not be reading this, because the internet would be gone.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:04 pmhuh… wondered when you’d get to this story, TP…
’bout time… good on ya…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:04 pmThis government takeover of the Internet will stifle innovation, in turn slowing our economic turnaround and further depressing an already anemic job market.
McCain’s hysterical characterization of regulation as being the equivalent of a “government takeover” really says it all. Does regulation of our food deprive us of food? Does regulation of our airspace deprive us of the ability to fly anywhere?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:04 pmFrom his press release:
This government takeover of the Internet will stifle innovation,
blah blah blah…
i think he is confused as to just what NET NEUTRALITY mean…
anyone else?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:05 pmOh, Ralph pretty much beat me to it. I’ve been under the weather for a few days – that’s my excuse! :)
October 24th, 2009 at 1:06 pmAnyone with the comprehension faculties of a sea-urchin has known for 10 years, at least, that the CorpoRats will stop at NOTHING to eviscerate the Tubez’ potential for democratic praxis and open communication.
Ending ‘net neutrality” would be a good way of doing it, is apparently the preferred way now, despite all the noises in Congress about preserving it.
If, somehow, net neutrality is preserved, then I look forward to the n ext wave, probably invoilving the necessity of bloggers or other commentors to post some kind of funky, expensive, “anti-libel” bond.
The CorpoRats will never rest until they have conquered the Tubez the way they previously conquered radio and tv…
Gay-ron-FUUKIN-teed, chers…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:06 pmOctober 24th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Another Joe is not my evil twin and while I do not agree that this post is unimportant ,in fact I believe that the attack on an open internet is imminent , I agree with his pointing out that the public option is under assault .
October 24th, 2009 at 1:08 pmI could link to at least a half dozen articles that say that very thing from progressive sources if you would like .
Oh boy am I glad this clown isn’t the president!
October 24th, 2009 at 1:09 pmThat’s why McCain the Weathervane will never be the President!
October 24th, 2009 at 1:10 pmThe people in power see , and rightly so ,net neutrality as a threat to their continued dominance of our democracy !
October 24th, 2009 at 1:10 pmralph the wonder llama says:
Grampy calling net neutrality a “government takeover of the internet” is a stark illustration of the bankruptcy of Republican ideas.
We know it a crock of shite, but there are gullible people who will buy the “government takeover” idea that the Republicans are peddling with every Obama program.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:11 pmXisithrus @31 – wow, I had no idea we were that behind on download speed! How do we increase capacity?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:15 pmBeefeater says:
Isn’t that what McCain [blah blah blah... woof woof!!! meow... meow...] but what happens when he is term limited?
____________
This comment was so F-in’ STUPID, it actually made my eyes hurt to read it.
It’s as bad as those shrill, hysterical screams about “death panels” and “rationing healthcare”.
We’ve ALREADY GOT “death panels”… they’re called “insurance companies” and they ALREADY ration healthcare…
Right now, we DO HAVE net neutrality. Yes, Limbaugh, Beck and their ilk are all over the Intertubes, but so are we. And at this point, neither side con control the net. Perhaps people prefer OUR side, ya know… because facts do tend to have a liberal bias…
The last thing I WANT to to have Fox, ATT, Comcast, or some other mega-corp deciding who can say what over the Net…
Man… I KNEW it was only a matter of time before those SOBs counter-attacked on this one.
Nice going, Johnny… yer a real American patriot…
The real problem here isn’t that those slimeballs in the GOOP will try this. They certainly don’t have enough votes on their own to push it thru. The problem will be How MANY DEMS take the money and run on this one?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:16 pmWell I want to personally thank you(both personalities) for pointing out the obvious. Did it take you long to figure it out?
My problem with both of you is claiming that Obama is the enemy when, if you lived in the world of reality you would not be able to deny that we would not be having this disussion about health care at all if not for Obama.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:16 pmThis isnt about a government takeover, although I note that McCain has no problem with government occupying other countries or bombing them.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:17 pmFlow can be increased, usually, quite easily thru router settings, the ISPs in many cases throttle it back already
October 24th, 2009 at 1:22 pmThose against net neutrality are those for more power and money grabbing by multinational corporations.
The internet is all we have with the exception of a small progressive growth in media.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:23 pmBeefeater says:
——————————————————————————–
Rab says:
I trust the geeks, McCrappy can keep his wrinkled fingers away from my internet.
Isn’t that what McCain is trying to do? You would be happy with the FCC regulating the Internets? The FCC that allows the likes of Limbaugh, Beck and Savage to exist? It’s ok as long as Barry is in charge but what happens when he is term limited?
Beefy: You can’t be that stupid, you keep this up and the campaign to bring back Pat Pomery is gonna start.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:25 pmPersonally I enjoyed the Internet far more when the government funded it and before it was commercialized… but I suppose McCain can’t remember that the Internet came out of DARPA and ARPA money… (my husband has the CA license “Arpanet”, btw…)
October 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pmDid the CFTC takeover wall street thru regulation? No. They ignored Brooksleys [CFTC] warnings about the opaque private derivatives market which could cause the loss of many peoples retirement savings. It happened causing the loss of some 4 trillion in retirement savings in 2008. Regulation of derivatives would have stopped that.
Our congress people, for campaign duckies, are opening you up to exploitation by corporate greed just as they did with the gutting of glass steagall
October 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Mc5th choice also voted against movable type and the printing press.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:26 pmSome of you might get a chuckle out of the picture of McCain on this link to a post from Danny Allen at Gizmodo about this matter. A tiny snippet here:
I’m trying to keep politics out of this, but apparently his view of “Internet Freedom” refers to big business freedom, not Joe public
October 24th, 2009 at 1:27 pmlol – I got voted down for asking how can we increase capacity? Some trolls have nothing better to do I guess.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:28 pmSen. John McCain (R-AZ) became the Republican Party’s lead man on technology issues
And he of all people is completely ignorant on usage of the internet.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:31 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
I always hear that in countries like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, France, Germany, etc., they not only get mucher higher speeds, but they get internet service, phone service, and many digital-channel tv service all for around $30 per month.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:35 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
that’s TOTAL, not each
October 24th, 2009 at 1:36 pmgonna cry joe? If it were censorship we wouldn’t have to see your nonsense at all.
When a majority tell you to sit down and shut up, it’s called democracy, not censorship.
You remind me a lot of the republican party today. You are the minority and yet you want to run things as if you are the majority. Grow up.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:37 pmWhat kind of capitalism is this when their is no competition to keep prices down but cartels using legislation to keep costs high?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:38 pmfreeman says:
Keith thanx for the savage quotes yesterday
You’re welcome. I got a lot of grief for those. Look there now and I added an explanation.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:38 pmpags2 says: #18
Exactly! Every time republicans want to pass a bill that shreads the constitution or to find a way to appease big corporations they insert the word “freedom” or something similar to make it sound it’s in our best interests. Trust me, anytime republicans say freedom you can bet your ass that it’s about anything but freedom!
October 24th, 2009 at 1:39 pmfreeman says:
It’s called censorship and it’s undemocratic at best .
____________
You seem to confuse ‘censorship’ with ’self pity’.
‘Censorship’ is when they break in the door, beat you and yours up, and burn the printing press…
’self pity’ is when you can’t acknowledge what a f-in’ self righteous pain-in-the-cheney’ you’ve managed to make of yourself…
Love the ‘bad puncuation’ schtick…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:41 pmMary
It is a VDT (Vote Down Troll) lurking.
Freeman
October 24th, 2009 at 1:42 pmDitto above dipshit
OT:
A solution to the Afghan war:
Obama announces he will abide by the constitution and leave the decision to Congress on what to do about Afghanistan.
Solution announced on Malloy’s show last night… an original thought by Mike Malloy himself.
The GNOP would love to see Obama knee deep in a quagmire over Afghanistan…. so let’s put the decision making and blame where it belongs… on Congress.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:46 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Freedom? Seems the Republicans are trying their best to destroy any shred of freedom any American enjoys. Republicans want the freedom to: invade and occupy other countries w/o reason, spy on Americans, enable their corporate masters in keeping health insurance premiums increasingly out of reach, run the American economy off the rails, and out CIA agents. Freedom indeed.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:50 pmfreeman says:
Mary
I usually get voted down just posting unfavorable articles from the huffpo, firedoglake or TPM even when I haven’t attached an opinion .
It’s called censorship and it’s undemocratic at best .
This isn’t a public forum, it’s a private blog. Whether its owners want us to permit, and what limits they want on those posts is up to them. They also put in the vote down so the majority of the viewers could decide when a poster’s comments were inappropriate or off topic. That is definitely not censorship, especially since those posts still exist.
If you were prevented from having your own blog – that would be censorship!
Are you a republican? Because you share their need to purchase a “dictionary”. Were you always this dumb? Explains your “green party / la rouche” stupidity…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:51 pmRandomChaos says:
Mary
It is a VDT (Vote Down Troll) lurking.
Seems petty and childish to me.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:51 pmWhat kind of capitalism is this when their is no competition to keep prices down but cartels using legislation to keep costs high?
I beleive that’s called “predatory” capitalism. Also “American” capitalism. Aka, “the CorpoRat State.”
October 24th, 2009 at 1:51 pmThe “progressive community” may be upset with Obama from time to time, but we all knew it was going to be tough and expensive fixing Bush’s Republican mess.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:52 pmSo, you guys are the new “Real Progressives”?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:52 pmfreeman says:
Don’t shoot the messenger friend ,
You aren’t our “friend” or a “messenger” – d**chebag. You’re a lunatic.
freeman says:
believe it or not I am not the entirety of Obama’s progressive detractors and they won’t go away .
You aren’t a progressive, you’re a la rouche lunatic.
freeman says:
In fact the majority of the progressive community is fairly unhappy so far with his presidency , which you would know if you read the links I post from progressive sources instead of merely voting them down .
I’m a progressive, and there is much I would love to see him do, but I wasn’t a starry eyed fringe freak during the primaries. He could do better, and I’m happy to encourage him to do better. But compared to Bush, there’s no comparison!
October 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pmMr. Evil says:
Exactly! Every time republicans want to pass a bill that shreads the constitution or to find a way to appease big corporations they insert the word “freedom”…
I heard this quote but I can’t remember who said it:
Any time someone starts waving the flag or thumping the Bible, watch your wallet.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:53 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
The corporate mantra against a ‘government takeover’ has to be clearly translated. It means that we the people (the government) are taking back control of something that corporations want or have dominion over, so they can monopolize profits and exclude anything they don’t like. They have already executed a ‘corporate takeover’ and we the people want to take it back wherever we can.
Thinking has been so warped by this peculiar phrasing of ‘government takeovers’ that recently a NYT reporter characterized the rescinding of a dictatorship era law granting corporate monopolies over media and communications as an appalling ‘government takeover’. Really, PULEEEASE!
October 24th, 2009 at 1:55 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Freeman: We gotta see what the end result is gonna be. I hear its on, its off, its on. Still alot of sausage to be made.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pmObama started the discussion on Health care reform when no one else would.
Yes or No?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pmOops, I forgot to mention that the rescinded law was in ARGENTINA
October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pmfreeman says:
Obama notdemanding public option .But will deliver 46 million new customers to the insurers .
Yes or no ?
Obama is working to insure all Americans in an affordable way, something Republicans refuse(d) to do. Yes or no?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:57 pmObama started the discussion on Health care reform when no one else would.
Yes or No?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
no.
it’s been an issue for 70 years, and Dennis Kucenich, iirc, made it a current topic…
October 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pm52 Keith
As Xisithrus already pointed out, the infrastructure to carry much higher connection speeds is already built in.
Even old copper cables ARE able to deliver high resolution digital video, in real time.
As you point out, other countries are much far advanced in offering faster connections BOTH through land lines AND wireless.
It doesn’t even take a PHYSICAL visit to turn on/off connection speeds.
It is a software switch. All it takes is a mouse click.
As far as content, it is the same situation.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pmAll it takes is a net administrator to ban a range of connection numbers.
freeman says:
Obama notdemanding public option .But will deliver 46 million new customers to the insurers .
Yes or no ?
Congress not Obama writes the laws establishing a public option. Yes or no?
Obama says he’ll sign the public option. Yes or no?
Obama is letting congress do their job, but you aren’t letting him do his. Yes or no?
Just STFU d**chbag loser.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pm@ 31. Xisithrus says: The USA trails other industrialized nations in high-speed Internet access and may never catch up unless quick action is taken by public-policymakers, a report commissioned by the Communications Workers of America warns.
The median U.S. download speed now is 1.97 megabits per second — … The Federal Communications Commission, which has broad sway over the emerging broadband market, defines “high speed” as 200 kilobits per second. The benchmark was adopted more than a dozen years ago when still-slower dial-up was the rule. Cohen says 200 kilobits is not even recognized as broadband in most countries today. “There is nothing speedy about it.” October 24th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
@ 37. mary lacewing says: Xisithrus @31 – wow, I had no idea we were that behind on download speed! How do we increase capacity? October 24th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
I’m hanging on a DSL connection, which is slower than some other connections, but faster than the old dial-up modem connects. Aside from ISP configuration, there are hardware methods for increasing capacity and speed, too, but those can occasionally go awry.
For instance, several years ago (about 15), Qwest installed fiber-optics in part of my town. That promised to be quite fast, which is to say, user bandwidth could have really been up there, at least to the central switch interface, and in prinicipal, onto the backbone. About 5 years ago, there was some sort of accident in our local central office and one or more of the opto-electronics racks for the fiberoptic part of the system burned up. Turned out the manufacturer of that switch and the connected system had gone out of business. Instead of going to another fiberoptic system manufacturer and getting the necessary stuff to splice in at the central switch, Qwest yanked the fiberoptic entirely and replaced it with copper, with a wire system, which was a big step backward.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:00 pmtokin librul says:
Obama started the discussion on Health care reform when no one else would.
Yes or No?
October 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
no.
it’s been an issue for 70 years, and Dennis Kucenich, iirc, made it a current topic…
Wrong. If that were true it would have been a current topic under Bush. Obama is the first “leader” to make this a real chance in nearly 2 decades.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pmWhat do you offer tokin? Got someone better to support?
When I throw my support behind someone I support them. The alternative is mccain, et al.
Swill your own personal kind of doom and gloom poison.
You have no reasonable solutions, you just hate everyone all the time.
Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and walk like a man for a change.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:01 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
tokin librul says:
Just STFU d**chbag loser.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Temper, temper…
Here, have a little more Kool-Aid. It’ll calm ya down…
LOL! Why would I want to cut in your supplies, you seem to be in great need of keeping on guzzling! LOL! ;)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:04 pmOctober 24th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Really, you gonna stick with that? Really? Cause I aint heard a word publicly from Dennis but I have from Obama.
Dennis does not have the ear of congress and the American People. Obama does and he is the one that got health care reform started after he was in office.
I praise Dennis for his efforts but he has been marginalized for a long time. If not so, he would be president now.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:05 pm@ 27. mary lacewing says: … Does regulation of our airspace deprive us of the ability to fly anywhere? October 24th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Hey, gummint regulation doesn’t stop our noble but argumentative flight crews from overflying Minneapolis by 100 miles or so…
October 24th, 2009 at 2:06 pmTelecom butt boy. Computer illiterate.
How do you spell WHORE?
October 24th, 2009 at 2:06 pmtokin librul says:
Fred sez: So, you guys are the new “Real Progressives”?
Imho, the amount of Obama Kool-aid swilled around here would drown a smallish city…fred, you, your own self, buy enough of it to keep the company in bidness…
Yawn… Another “concern troll” lunatic…
I “knew” what I voted for, what was your excuse? Blind childish “kool-aid”? That why you’re so bitter – concern troll? Your Ron Paul/Libertarian candidate didn’t win?
I got news for you, you “libertarian” kook-aid drinkers aren’t Liberal, your nutz!
October 24th, 2009 at 2:06 pmI support the private version of socialism, taking away from the innovators and geeks and redistruting the fruits to money manipulators on Wall Street. It worked so well for health care.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:08 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Fred, Bleepn:
October 24th, 2009 at 2:09 pmhttp://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/24/mccain-internet-freedom/comment-page-2/#comment-5858662
tokin, You mention Dennis but you didn’t even bring up Ted Kennedy’s name.
If you’re going to give credit for championing health care, Ted was doing it before Dennis and Obama were out of diapers.
The simple fact is that Obama asked congress for a heath care reform bill. That is a fact.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:09 pmA comment from ‘okidokedork’ from that Gizmodo link I offered above talking about McCain’s proposed legislation (the topic of this thread):
October 24th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Tokin 93
So, where did you read it? Was it read to congress and did he demand something be done about it? Was it in all the news?
See, I agree with Dennis, but Dennis didn’t start the ball to actually rolling. I’m sure he would if he could, but he was never able to do it himself.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:13 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Can’t hold your own in a discussion so what do you do? I’m saddened that you are this weak token.
I have seen you claim to be intelligent and an academic. I think it’s hard to believe.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:15 pm98 tokin
No, jack as$. When you are a moron, there is a word for it.
YOU ARE A MORON.
(actually, 4 words)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:16 pmOh man, I love you guys but I’m too sick to handle the bickering today.
Maybe I’ll catch you all later – peace!
October 24th, 2009 at 2:16 pmRest and get well Mary.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:17 pmDon’t shoot the messenger friend
–
Who suggested you should be the messenger?
“Who does Number 2 work for”?
October 24th, 2009 at 2:18 pmHa, that’s funny shit!
and:
next troll….
October 24th, 2009 at 2:18 pmI tell ya what. I challenge either of you trolls, joe, freeman, token, or all one of you.
Show where Obama campaigned on the public option.
I will save you the time. The public option didn’t even surface as an option until health care reform was suggested and requested by Obama.
You guys make yourselves look foolish.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:21 pm#56 Xisithrus says
What kind of capitalism is this when their is no competition to keep prices down but cartels using legislation to keep costs high?
Exactly. There is no true ‘capitalism’, rather we have an emergent plutocracy that wants to control everything–much like the monarchies that were extant in France and England up until the late 17th century.
The people either hung or guillotined the leaders then. We, as civilized people, have only our voices and the electronic palimpsest known as the internet.
Take that freedom away and we become slaves to the plutocracy.
“Before I’d be any man’s slave, I’ll rot down in my grave, and you can bury me in my dirty overalls.” Woody Guthrie
October 24th, 2009 at 2:26 pmAbove the Clouds says:
The “progressive community” may be upset with Obama from time to time, but we all knew it was going to be tough and expensive fixing Bush’s Republican mess.
October 24th, 2009 at 1:52 pm Add Karma Vote Up | Subtract Karma Vote Down | (6) |
And it is all too obvious the GNOP are counting on the public being too stupid to realize this. It is and will be very interesting watching their lockstep lying spin machine at work.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:26 pmfreeman says:
Tokin
Do you suppose that when the other side of a debate stoops to insults , name calling and vulagarities they aren’t very confident in their abilities to win the argument at hand through other means ?
The “other side”? LOL! Jake, you and the rest of the GOP sockpuppets really are pathetic. Do you suppose when you “whine” like this, you aren’t very confident in your abilities to win the argument so you have play “victim”? LOL! ;)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:26 pmI don’t understand all the hype about “government takeover”.
The government is given the charge of protecting our freedoms.
Is the country to going to place all its trust in corporate decisions?
Are we going to allow the “free market” to allocate resources fairly?
Does the United States have a free market, or is it an aberration?
The free market governing approach has been mainstreamed for 30 years and where is the country now.
The government has been a major catalyst for technological innovation, and government involvement is desperately needed right now.
Mr. McCain, I don’t want to rely on your greedy corporate buddies to protect my freedoms. Your corporate buddies have been living off the fat of this country too long.
The reality, we can’t trust you and your buddies with our freedoms or technological innovations. All they know are profits and control.
We as a country are approaching 3rd world status.
The United States is long overdue for our government stepping in and protecting our freedoms.
Government regulation and involvement are desperately needed now!
October 24th, 2009 at 2:27 pmtokin librul says:
Step right up!
Gitcher Obama-Aid here.
One flavor: weak.
“Vote down” a quote which rebutts you claims?
Kool, aides…
Ah patsy, this is the best sock you do do? ZZzzz….
Libertarians aren’t Libruls – dork..
October 24th, 2009 at 2:28 pmtokin librul says:
Fred, Bleepn:
http://thinkprogress.org/2009/10/24/mccain-internet-freedom/comment-page-2/#comment-5858662
I’m pretty sure that Hillary had a “head start” on Kutchie in terms of Health Care reform, as did Ted Kennedy. I’m pretty sure “they” and not Kutchie is the source of Obama’s health care concerns. But if you need a “hero” to idolize, help yourself! No matter how “ineffective” he is… ;)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:30 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
More like a kleptocracy. This fasicination with greed cannot, as history shows, turn out well.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pmfreeman says:
The US is the only first world nation without health coverage for it’s people , so it was inevitable that it would become an issue , the corporations co opted the reform and largely wrote the pending legislation to limit the damages .
So you give Obama “no” credit for “asking” for this to happen? LOL! what a jerk!
freeman says:
The first six months of the administration’s visitor logs are closed to the public I believe .
Fine, let them be opened. We have no problem with that.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pmfreeman says:
Your right , he campaigned on single payer and the compromise which was made was first, the public option ,and now ….. 46 million new customers for the insurers without any meaningful regulation of the Pharmaceutical industry .
He said he was a “proponent of” in front of the AFL-CIO, but in fact his platform never proposed this and he didn’t use that term in general campaigns. To claim he “campaigned” on that is a lie.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:33 pmPoor freeman is too stupid to know the difference between a “campaign platform” and a general statement of being “for” something! LOL! No wonder she’s pissed she voted for Obama! LOL! ;)
October 24th, 2009 at 2:35 pmI am still curious who it was that hired freeman to deliver a message. No man is free who who is owned by another….
October 24th, 2009 at 2:36 pmtokin librul says:
Fred sez: So, you guys are the new “Real Progressives”?
Imho, the amount of Obama Kool-aid swilled around here would drown a smallish city…fred, you, your own self, buy enough of it to keep the company in bidness…
‘you, your own self’ is trash talk…
Once again as always, no content, facts or solutions… just a bunch of nonsense word smithing and efforts of voting down comments.
What a pathetic waste of one’s time.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:37 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
I’m late to this party but, I think the number one priority of the Obama Administration should be fumigating the DOJ and federal courts and prosecutors offices. With all the Bushbots in place it’s nearly impossible to do much of anything. Especially disturbing is the fact that the GOoPers still hold the trump card of challenging in court.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:42 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Seriously now…
October 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pmfreeman do you think small steps are better than no steps. Only the naive expect revolutionary change. “Moving forward using all my breathe”…
That would be my conscience .
October 24th, 2009 at 2:48 pm—
It was the unibombers as well.That is why we have a prefrontal cortex. The amygdala is a dangerous thing…
Freeman spews: OT meme after meme after meme. blah blah blah
Whines that noone agrees.
Pathetic sockpuppet.
grow a pair dipshit
October 24th, 2009 at 2:50 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Then, considering that there are two military occupations ongoing, the Obama Administration has to figure out which flag officers are loyal, skilled, soldiers/comanders and which are Bush-style ideologues. It won’t be possible to extricate our forces if their commanders Believe they are fighting a Crusade.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:54 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
DB 117 ,
That would be my conscience .
– I respect your vigorous values even if I disagree.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:00 pmOh and DB nice early insult directed toward my children , very classy .
October 24th, 2009 at 3:00 pmOT
October 24th, 2009 at 3:02 pmI believe it was just a little over a month ago in September that the WhiteHouse announced it WILL reveal Visitor logs. I may be mistaken (probably not), but I don’t see anywhere that the Whitehouse has retracted from that.
Of course, everything is made more difficult by the very real need for Obama to be careful to an extreme. Some of it is racial. Some of it is political. And some of it is just stupid people collapsing during a time of crisis.
Like it or not, if President Obama gives the screeching hordes a reason he could cause a backlash against “liberalism” that would destroy our best chance at returning our country to sane governance. The scary part is that the media could cause such a backlash by simply making shit up! It’s all well and good to call for bold action but the risks are huge and nearly impossible to predict.
Plus. If one is hoping for sweeping changes via signing statements I would not suggest holding one’s breath. Lawyers from both parties are working feverishly on ways to challenge signing statements, and legislation for that matter, in the courts. And those courts are full of Reichwhiners.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:03 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
This comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Freeman,
See, here is the deal FOOL. We are not debating you. You have proven to be a liar and troll. Your schtick is old and moldy.
Pathetic Putz
October 24th, 2009 at 3:09 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Maybe not peak oil but oil certianly had to do with our wandering into Iraq. Why Boone Pickens said that ‘firms’ not the people, are entitled to that oil. How can this be, these firms did not give birth to single soldier and this usurist, Pickens, says the ‘firms’ such as his are entitled to Iraq oil because soldiers died.
I think thats insanity and takes a sociopathic mind to even come up with such rationality.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:14 pmGrandPappy McCain is trying to hang in there and was left out of the Awards Dinner for Treason given to Dick Cheney and convicted felon Scooter Libby. Grandpappy McCain let the American People know he was so old he couldn’t remember what he had for breakfast or where his homes were. He thought he invented the Blackberry and said he knew nothing about Economy. It seems McCain has lost interest in the Military now he’s not running for President. I guess he remembered he sold out his own fellow soldiers while he was a POW. Yes some of those soldiers who were POW spoke out on how GrandPappy was so scared he told the enemy his Father was a high ranking Officer so he was given special treatment. The Military soldiers today didn’t mean anything to GrandPappy as he used them for votes only. Now Arizona’s only problem during this recession as seen by Senator Grandpappy McCain is getting the late Boxer Jack Johnson a pardon.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:17 pmI might also add that, after the last guy, it’s hard to remember how a real President conducts himself and the business of our nation. A President doesn’t write legislation. He doesn’t make arbitrary demands. He doesn’t even, technically, “lead”. He Presides. I think that President Obama has a very clear understanding of that.
Unlike his predecessor, I would not expect to see him trying to force Congress on national T.V. I don’t expect him to fire anyone who has a conflicting opinion. I don’t expect him to banish people from the party because of an “impure” message. And I don’t even expect him to threaten a veto if some isolated part of a bill might be less than ideal or different than what was envisioned.
Publicly, I expect a President to do exactly what he’s doing and all the “secret meetings” are pure speculation. I think that we owe it to the Administration and Congressional Dems to see what legislation is actually written before we convict anyone of any particular shenanigans. And summoning righteous anger because someone may have made a “secret deal”, despite no evidence of that fact, is so unproductive as to be nearly pathological.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:19 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
Oh and DB nice early insult directed toward my children , very classy .
– I would never consider insulting any person of sincerity regarless of their age. It is possible I would poke a proven fraud however. Which are you?
October 24th, 2009 at 3:23 pmThis comment has been voted down. Click to read.
freeman says:
The first six months of the administration’s visitor logs are closed to the public I believe.
You can thank Bush/Cheney for closing the visitor logs. That was one of their first tasks when they got into office.
So who was in Cheney’s Energy Task Force meeting? The world may never know.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:28 pmI usually describe it as two like factions operating under one economic powerhouse.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:28 pmOh goody! This should be good for another 13 appearances on the Sunday Morning Spin Fests.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:32 pmThe sunday morning simpletons will let McCain come on and ‘frame’ the issue as he wants thru softball questions.
October 24th, 2009 at 3:35 pmThe number of votes doesn’t matter. It is my words that hurt you…
October 24th, 2009 at 4:09 pmYes, Freeman. We all know about the Baucus bill. It also looks like it has many articles that no one likes and, according to conventional wisdom, there’s not a whole lot that will make it into a final, consolidated bill. It’s been recognized as deeply flawed since the first leaks. I guess that explains the 540+ amendments and the continuing discussions in both the House and Senate including plans to pretty much scrap the whole effort.
Once again. You’ll have to do much better than that to justify your fears and pessimism. Plus, since it’s been widely reported, not to mention condemned, and hasn’t found it’s way into the House bills it’s not really much of a “secret deal” is it?
October 24th, 2009 at 4:12 pmUnlike health care, McCain’s bill is a case of it’s not broke, so why don’t we fix it.
The right doesn’t really believe in libertarian capitalism. They believe in monopolism and oligarchism, e.g., allowing Murdoch-types to own newspapers, TV, and radio in the same market. Consider Hollywood, too. There’s one of our most successful industries with a favorable balance of trade. Funny though, that the culture warriors attack it without mercy because of content. You would think, if they were truly capitalists of the let the market decide variety, they would be staunch supporters of the industry. But, as I said, they’re not really capitalists.
October 24th, 2009 at 4:40 pmMcCain? Isn’t he one of the dirty 30 republicans that voted to allow rape at defense contractor companies? And isn’t he the one that Obama wiped the floor with in 2008 election? That McCain?
October 24th, 2009 at 4:50 pm… just back from a job… left off at 49…
it just occurred to me – do you suppose this has anything to do with mcCREEPY’s booby-lushious twit of a daughter showing off her assets for all the world to see?
mcGRAMPS wants to save all the bimbos! … or protect us FROM them…
October 24th, 2009 at 5:01 pmVirtual Pebble says:
Hey, gummint regulation doesn’t stop our noble but argumentative flight crews from overflying Minneapolis by 100 miles or so…
October 24th, 2009 at 2:06 pm Add Karma Vote Up |
so, i’ve been wondering about something (dirty mind that i have)…
and since you brought it up, i’ll put it out there (just in case…)
i have a feeling those pilots may have joined ‘the mile high club’ over minnesota!
i mean no disrespect at all – but i can’t be the only person who thought of that…
and you know it would be the FIRST thing thought of if it were a man and a woman up there…
just sayin’…
October 24th, 2009 at 5:27 pmfreeman says:
DB 117 ,
That would be my conscience .
You have a “conscience”? Evidence to the contrary! ;)
freeman says:
Xisithrus
That sociopathic mind is the bottom line of large corporations and operates freely on both sides of the aisle with the democrats playing the good cop role in our arrested democracy .
The point I keep making here .
The sociopathic mind does operate freely on the left – just look in the mirror. When you can “criticize” Dennis-K come back and lecture us on how we’re the same as the lunatic religious types. You’re just projecting again -freak!
October 24th, 2009 at 5:55 pmI only hope that Arizonans don’t vote to put this greedy opportunist back in the Senate knowing there have to be other, younger people who could do such good things for them. Why can’t we give new and younger people a chance to hold office? Why don’t we have term limits and get rid of all these current old white men who try to hold onto their office until death? McCain’s had his day in the sun; get him indoors quickly!
October 24th, 2009 at 6:23 pmTruly a worthy heir to the mantle of Ted Stevens.
October 24th, 2009 at 6:42 pm.
Dear freeman and Another Joe,
It isn’t that we don’t share your concerns. It’s that people who regularly visit this site and contribute do not, let me repeat, DO NOT appreciate being chastised for frequenting this site. We’re here to contribute as best we can. And calling people names and denigrating TP for not being the web site you want it to be or as topical as you would like, really makes you the complainers.
There is a distinct difference, say on health care threads, to contribute by saying, “look what I just learned…” versus saying, “you people are too slow, get a clue…”. Even IF you link to a relevant news story or event, because OF your approach, you make yourself UNAPPROACHABLE and thus, a turn off and quickly get down voted into oblivion.
Just think about your approach for a moment.
.
October 24th, 2009 at 6:47 pm51, voting is undemocratic?
October 24th, 2009 at 6:55 pmJohnny McTeleprompter still calls his computer his, “Internet Machine”. Sad…
October 24th, 2009 at 7:26 pmImagine, if you will, your internet provider denying you access to Thinkprogress, or any site without an extreme right-wing bent.
Without Net Neutrality, the internet could consist of nothing but Fox News and Rush Limbaugh.
That’s why Corporations don’t want Net Neutrality – they want to control our ability to communicate and disseminate information.
And, yes, they can legally do that, because the 1st Amendment only applies to government regulation of speech, not Corporate regulation of speech.
October 24th, 2009 at 8:15 pmThe more you tighten your grip, Senator McCain, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:50 pmSo the last Republican admits that that he is a corporate shill.
October 24th, 2009 at 10:08 pmany legislation that protects the consumer is a “government takeover” to these backward-thinking morons..
McCain is a senile and pathetic has-been.. time for him to get lost.
October 24th, 2009 at 11:21 pmremembered this from yesterday… worth a repeat:
FCC Chairman: 6 Goals For Net Neutrality Rules
By Jennifer Bosavage, ChannelWeb 11:35 AM EDT Fri. Oct. 23, 2009
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has outlined six goals that he believes must be achieved in any formal set of Internet neutrality guidelines.
All five FCC commissioners Thursday voted to continue the effort to formalize net neutrality guidelines. The effort has come under fire by telecom carriers and service providers, as well as a number of GOP lawmakers. Most recently, Senator John McCain introduced a bill that would prohibit the FCC from governing communications.
Genachowski issued a statement yesterday in which the FCC chairman discussed six conceptual commitments that he fully endorses.
1. The goal is a free and open Internet. First, the goal is, and must remain without compromise, preserving a free and open Internet. “Each and every user of the Internet must have access to an unlimited online universe of ideas and commerce,” Genachowski said.
2. Both investment and innovation must be promoted. Genachowski called the notion that there must be either innovation and investment on the “edge” of the network, where content and applications are developed, or in the “core” of the network, where broadband providers operate, a “false choice.”
“The full potential of the Internet cannot be unleashed without robust and healthy broadband networks, and broadband providers need room to experiment with new technologies and business models in order to earn a return on their investment and deploy high-speed broadband to all Americans,” he said.
3. Flexibility is necessary. Broadband providers should be able to solve the difficult challenges of managing their networks and offering customers a high-quality Internet connection. In addition, the chairman recognized congestion issues, particularly regarding broadband.
4. The government’s role in preserving the openness of the Internet should be limited. “This commission fully agrees that government must not restrict the free flow of information over the Internet,” Genachowski said.
5. Safety and security are paramount. Copyright infringement, spam, or other violations of the law will not be tolerated. Laws must also honor the protection of users’ privacy.
6. Sixth, the differences between wireless and wired networks need to be addressed. “Given fundamental differences in technology, how, when and to what extent open Internet rules should apply to different access platforms, particularly mobile broadband, will undoubtedly vary,” Genachowski noted.
and again –
October 24th, 2009 at 11:49 pm1. The goal is a free and open Internet.
Right. Let’s block the Federal Communications Commission from regulating Communications.
To quote Homer Simpson: “DOH!!!”
October 25th, 2009 at 12:28 amMcCain wants to create the 21st century equivalent of the old man yelling, “Hey you kids, keep off my lawn!”
Only it will be corporate/oligarch old men/greedheads yelling, “Hey you kids, keep off my internet!”
Ain’t gonna happen.
October 25th, 2009 at 10:28 amMcCain is a dirty old whore who would sell himself to anyone with two nickels to rub together.
October 25th, 2009 at 11:29 amOf course John McCain wants to dump net neutrality. He owes his soul to the tele-comms and the GOP. Good for us McCain is one of the least convincing politicians I have ever heard.
The GOP must control the net. The net is what brought them down in 2006 and in 2008. Information disseminated via the web provided Americans and the world with information the GOP once controlled.
Support net neutrality to support freedom.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:20 pmYeh, government regulated internet whooo :- /
the Internet is great at the minute, the government HATES it and wants to kill it in it’s current form and bog it down in red tape bureaucracy .
October 25th, 2009 at 12:24 pmalso a lot of you lefties should remember, while you’re supporting all these government programs, guess whos going to be in charge of them in 4-8 years time ? .
Rudy Guilianni, or some other half wit authoritarian .
October 25th, 2009 at 1:57 pmMcCain invented the dingleberry.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:19 pmMcCain invented the dingleberry.
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October 30th, 2009 at 10:42 am