When will FCC distance itself from FreePress Like Google & Waxman have?

Much has changed since May when FreePress orchestrated a torrent of nasty criticism directed at the FCC Chairman when it was signaled to the Washington Post that he was considering leaving broadband de-regulated and not adopting a Title II broadband approach.

Since then, Google negotiated a proposed compromise with Verizon to resolve the net neutrality Gordian knot that importantly did not advocate Title II regulation of the broadband Internet.

• More importantly, Google did not back down from their proposed compromise when FreePress subjected Google to the "the FreePress treatment" i.e. public relations mob torture -- for their apostasy.

Since then, House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman also negotiated a proposed solution to the net neutrality Gordian knot that did not advocate Title II regulation of the broadband Internet.

• Most importantly, Chairman Waxman and House Commerce Committee Democrats also did not back down when FreePress threatened to subject them to "the treatment."
• Tellingly, Chairman Waxman praised several consumer groups that were constructive in the negotiations: "I particularly want to single out the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Public Knowledge, and the Center for Democracy and Technology for their steadfast advocacy on behalf of consumers..."
  • Anyone following the politics of this largely FreePress-driven Title II debate has to note that FreePress was NOT singled out for praise by Chairman Waxman.
  • That omission is deafening.

In sum, the political message of these two critical Title II political developments -- since the FCC proposed its Title II gambit under FreePress duress in May -- is unmistakable to anyone at the FCC trying to divine the "real" politics of Title II regulation of the broadband Internet.

• FreePress' magic spell has been broken.
• Both Google and Chairman Waxman called FreePress' bluff and exposed them as all bark with no real bite -- an annoying yipping chihuahua with a megaphone and an inordinate number of trade press/blogger cheerleaders -- not the huge pack of grassroots dobermans that they represent themselves to be.

The open question is when will the FCC conclude that FreePress is a bark-o-matic ankle-biter, and that the Congress, the Courts and the economy don't have to bark, because everyone knows they all have the bite of a crocodile.