I was watching Cspan-2, a show that my digital cable called "Why Journalism Matters", and Senators DeMint and Dorgan were on, seperately, talking about the telecom bill S 2686 and Net Neutrality specifically. I've got the rundown in the extended section.
Unfortunately, I didn't TiVo this or take notes, so I'm going off memory. DeMint has definitely refined his talking points, and sounded like he would be very convincing to someone who was unfamiliar with the issue. He placed great importance on the need to "invest in the future". The reporter asked if Net Neutrality was to be a campaign issue, and DeMint paused awkwardly, obviously trying to decide exactly how heavily he wanted to pile on the bullshit, and then agreed that Net Neutrality would be a favorable campaign issue
for Republicans. Wow. Talk about cognitive dissonance.. assuming DeMint values the truth at all, anyway.
Dorgan was good, but not as polished or as well-rehearsed as DeMint. He talked about 'gatekeepers' and 'tollbooths', and referred to the popular metaphor describing a 30-mph dirt road alongside a four-lane highway. Dorgan also kept referring to Net Neutrality alternatively as 'internet freedom', which seemed a well-intentioned but weak attempt to rebrand the issue. He vowed that if the telecom bill got "anywhere near the floor", he and Senator Snowe (who cosponsored the amendment in committee) would be right there with an amendment to preserve Net Neutrality. He's looking for a fight, and he seems to know that the grassroots and citizenry could get really involved over this. He needs work on his talking points, but he knows he's right and he's willing to go to bat for the internet's future.
I'm a big fan of Dorgan's honesty and capability, but he can't do this alone. We need to talk to our friends about Net Neutrality. So far, everyone I've spoken to has been very receptive, but many, if not most, of the people I've spoken to have been tricked by the misleading TV and print ads. On Saturday, out canvassing for a local congressional candidate, several volunteers had to be convinced that the positions they held were not anti-Net Neutrality, but in fact pro-Net Neutrality. The early publicity and framing are crucial to this fight, and right now the big cable and telecom companies have us beat. Since the Dems can't do it on their own, please help them out in shaping the debate. No one wants to lose the internet. The battle is in making sure people understand what is at stake.