Now that the Democrats hold majorities in the House and Senate (with larger margins this come November) the battle for Net Neutrality will be decided by the members of the party with the donkey next to their name. Many people say that it doesn't matter what party holds power because the corporations are the true guiding force in our country. Although this is partly true, ultimately people power will win out if citizens are dedicated enough. Lets take Colorado for example.
From Colorado Confidential:
In Colorado over the election cycles from 2004-2008, telecom and media political action committees have donated just under $540,000 to Colorado's U.S. senators, representatives and candidates for those offices. They gave $198,000 in the 2004 cycle, $229,000 in the 2006 cycle and $103,000 so far with ten months still to go in the 2008 cycle.
There's been a dramatic shift in the pattern of donations, however. In 2004, about 57 percent of the donations from the telecom industry went to Republican candidates, and 43 percent to Democrats. In 2006, only 29 percent went to Republicans and 71 percent to Democrats. And in the 2008 cycle so far, a whopping 92 percent of telecom donations have gone to Democrats and only 8 percent to Republicans.
In addition, Qwest has pledged $6 million to the Democratic National Convention here in August. Level 3 Communications has pledged $1 million and other telecoms lesser amounts. A spokesman for Save The Internet said:
"The national conventions are a schmoozefest for influential and powerful lobbyists. All the largest telecom firms are going to have a very strong presence there."
Yes, those conventions are giant schmoozefests, I can tell you first hand that some of the parties I got into up in Boston four years ago were filled with suits, and when I told some of these people I was a field organizer, they wanted nothing to do with me or the people I hung out with. Corporations and their lobbyists realize they need to put their money in the "right hands" in order to see favorable decisions being made. Yet with Democrats, if their constituents put enough pressure on them, then we will get supporters of Net Neutrality after all.
Colorado's big congressional player in telecom issues is Democratic Rep. Diana DeGette, who is the vice chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over much of the net neutrality legislation. DeGette's office declined a request for an interview with her about this topic. She was an early opponent of net neutrality rules, but has since changed her position to support them.
DeGette has reaped the most donations from telecom PACs of any Colorado member of Congress over the last three cycles. She's gotten a total of $89,500 since the 2004 election, including $15,000 from Level 3's PAC, $11,000 from Comcast's and $8,000 from Qwest's PAC.
Democratic Rep. Mark Udall has received about $82,000 from telecom-related PACs; former Republican Rep. Bob Beauprez got more then $71,000 in only the 2004 and 2006 election cycles; Rep. John Salazar has gathered up $63,300; and Sen. Ken Salazar, $53,250.
Udall's office says that the congressman supports net neutrality, and that he voted for a version of Markey's legislation that was considered in the last congressional session.
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