The Past

Matt Stoller has crucial background on Verizon’s puzzling decision to block pro-choice text messages (and, yes, they eventually flip-flopped but that merely shows the vital role of public criticism). Specifically, Verizon policy chief Tom Tauke’s “was a right-wing anti-choice Congressman from Iowa until 1990, when NARAL spent $100,000 to successfully defeat him as he tried to jump to the Senate.” Under the circumstances, it makes perfect sense that he’d view pro-choice messages as unsavory.