John Edwards on Net Neutrality -- Lip synching the Moveon.org song

Moveon.org's SaveTheInternet blog is touting Democratic Presidential Candidate John Edwards' recent comments supporting net neutrality.

• So why am I bringing attention to this win by the other side?
• Well first I think its always important to genuflect to Moveon.org's prowess when they get people to lip synch their talking points "song."

We all know politics is often driven by fear and by creating boogeymen where none really exist -- and at that, Moveon.org is a master.  

• Moveon.org has successfully scared otherwise sensible and intelligent people that broadband companies are part of some vast business conspiracy to kill the American people's Internet freedom so they can ride in on a white horse and "save the Internet."  

Great politilcal theatre but its not really the main event.

• What is really going on is that Moveon.org and its 3 million person mailing list is a mighty and respected force in e-fundraising for democratic candidates.
• When the Democratic Presidential candidates, Edwards, Clinton and Obamma, profess support of Net Neutrality, the overriding reason is because they are right in the thick of the Presidential "fundraising primary" cycle and Moveon.org is a serious e-fundraising force.
• As the old adage says, when you want honey, don't kick the beehive.

As I recently blogged, net neutrality is recently just another form of special interest legislation. Groups that are big email blasters (like Moveon.org's 3 million person email list) don't want to pay the market rate to increase the capacity of the Internet.

• They want price regulation of all broadband to hide their self-serving desire that their email and podcast distribution costs don't go up.
• Why don't they just lobby for a charity rate or a special tax break -- that would be more forthright and less destructive.
• As it stands now, they want to change everything about the Internet -- its free market success -- its lack of regulation -- its free and open nature -- all so they can keep their email bill from going up.