Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is the longest-serving Republican in the Senate and the "author" of the excruciatingly awful 151-page telecom bill S-2686. The bill was recently approved by the Senate Commerce Committee but not yet (and maybe never, we hope) by the full Senate. This audio file of Sen. Stevens' recent speech about the net and "his" bill is truly hilarious! Here's the blog of Senator Ted Stevens. Awesome! And here's a related cartoon. (FYI - To date, Illinois Senator Durbin hasn't said anything at all publicly about net neutrality. Nada. Zip. Nil.)...... If you received an automated telephone call asking you to dial an 800 number to "vote for cable competition" in recent weeks, you were not alone. So did CAN-TV director Barbara Popovic, Sun-Times columnist Robert Feder, and me. The source of the calls, "Illinois Technology Alliance", is actually a telecom industry shell/front group that appears to be incorporated overseas and in Delaware. It was recently set up by Jascula/Terman and Associates, a Chicago pr firm which lists AT&T as a client here...... AT&T vs. the People of Geneva, IL That'll show 'em who's boss!...... Question: When was the term "net neutrality" or "internet neutrality" first mentioned in a Chicago daily newspaper? Answer: June 9, in the Chicago Defender.

The Bribes Behind the Vote on S.2686
Senate Commerce Committee Roll Call Vote on S.2686 Here's a preliminary scorecard shown with 2005/06 campaign cycle donations.

Voting FOR Senate Bill S.2686 12 Republicans / 3 Democrats

Republicans: Ted Stevens - Alaska - Chairman $35,750* $22,000** $17,000*** John McCain - Arizona $45,750** Conrad Burns - Montana $114,090* $85,500** $47,450*** Trent Lott - Mississippi $22,000*** Kay Bailey Hutchison - Texas Olympia Snowe - Maine $19,500** $26,000*** Gordon Smith - Oregon $27,000** John Ensign - Nevada $49,250* $52,990** $62,749*** George Allen - Virginia $43,100* $44,750** $30,940*** John Sununu - New Hampshire $21,000* Jim DeMint - South Carolina David Vitter - Louisiana

Democrats: Daniel K. Inouye - Hawaii - Co-Chairman Mark Pryor - Arkansas $33,800* $24,500** E. Benjamin Nelson - Nebraska $39,200* $51,650** $27,000***

Voting AGAINST Senate Bill S.2686 7 Democrats: John D. Rockefeller IV - West Virginia John F. Kerry - Massachussetts $341,111** Byron L. Dorgan - North Dakota $22,200** Barbara Boxer - California $42,650** Bill Nelson - Florida $18,750* $71,048** $55,900*** Maria Cantwell - Washington $32,700** $56,600*** Frank Lautenberg - New Jersey $16,000** $18,000***

All donations took place during the 2005-2006 election cycle and were released by the Federal Election Commission on Monday, May 29, 2006.

*Telephone Utilities Donation **Telecom Services and Equipment Industry Donations *** Cable TV Industry Donations

Source: www.opensecrets.org list of top 20 recipients in campaign donations. Candidates not showing amounts were not in the top 20.

FCC's Martin in Bed w/Industry
That's FCC Chairman Kevin Martin in this photo standing on the hotel room bed. The other two men are top communications industry executives. Note the crumpled sheets! Read more.

posted by Scott Sanders, Chicago Media Action
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