Steve Benen: Google, Others', Support for Net Neutrality in Congress Dwindling?

That's a distinct "Yup," according to the Washington Monthly blog this am: NET NEUTRALITY LOSING KEY SUPPORTERS?.... The Wall Street Journal has a front-page report this morning on the apparent trend of net neutrality "quietly losing powerful defenders."

Google Inc. has approached major cable and phone companies that carry Internet traffic with a proposal to create a fast lane for its own content, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Google has traditionally been one of the loudest advocates of equal network access for all content providers. [...]
Separately, Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have withdrawn quietly from a coalition formed two years ago to protect network neutrality. Each company has forged partnerships with the phone and cable companies. In addition, prominent Internet scholars, some of whom have advised President-elect Barack Obama on technology issues, have softened their views on the subject.

The elimination of "net neutrality" is the first step toward the 'end of the world as we know it' on-line. I am astonished that it has lasted this long. I have long anticipated that the hegemons would get around to focusing on 'denaturing' the Net. I was surprised that it lasted through this election cycle. I doubt it will endure to the next one, at least in the present condition of openness and democratizing discourse...

ADDENDUM: Sometimes exercises in futility are the only kind of exercise I get. Here's another one: Remember that, during the campaign, Mr.O promised to be "second to none" when it came to advocacy of net neutrality? Yeah, he did. But now, with support for NetNeut softening in the part of his constituency he pays closest attention to--the corpoRats--he may not be as attentive to such promises. So, there exists a web-page on which you may inscribe a petition and remind the P-E of his (rash) promises.

Work OUT!!!