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House Democrats Plan April Vote On Net Neutrality Bill (theguardian.com)

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced that the House will hold a vote next month on the Democrats' bill to reinstate the Obama-era net neutrality rules. "Hoyer said in a letter to colleagues that the House will consider the Save the Internet Act during the week of April 8," reports The Hill. From the report: The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted along party lines in 2017 to repeal the popular regulations prohibiting internet service providers from blocking or throttling websites, or from creating internet fast lanes. Democrats and consumer groups are fighting the repeal with a legal challenge in federal court and have pushed net neutrality regulations at the state level.

While Republicans have floated their own bills to replace the rules, many oppose the Save the Internet Act because it reinstates the provision in the 2015 order that designates broadband providers as common carriers, opening them up to tougher regulation and oversight from the FCC. Though it enjoys widespread support among Democrats, the legislation may have a hard time getting through the GOP-held Senate.
The "Save the Internet Act" was introduced earlier this month by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other House and Senate Democrats.

140 comments

  1. F_ck Ajit Pai by Major_Disorder · · Score: 1, Insightful

    About bloody time, for this. Save the internet!!!

    --
    First law of people: People are generally stupid.
    1. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm all in on net neutrality, but the Democrats are being really stupid about this. Why on earth would they bring this to bear when they already know the president will veto it? It's just going to make it less likely that the next congress will bring up such a bill.

      They also shouldn't be so damn pig headed about being unwilling to even negotiate with the other side on everything. There are a fair share of Republicans in favor of net neutrality, but trying to make this yet another 'us vs them' issue isn't going to do anybody any favors, just like Pelosi's moronic strategy on Trump's national emergency.

    2. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      " Why on earth would they bring this to bear when they already know the president will veto it " - The optics for the President, because 80-90% of the public supports Net Neutrality, including many otherwise stupid Republicans.

      Vetoing it will be a slap in the face from the traitor president (Don't forget about the Mueller report, lol) going into an election cycle TV spot cycle. Kinda basic, no wonder you missed it...

    3. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      About bloody time, for this. Save the internet!!!

      It is just a political stunt. It will pass the house. Then it will die in the senate without even being considered.

      This isn't about passing NN. It is about framing the issue for the 2020 election, and cornering the Republicans into voting "No", so the Democrats can hammer them for it.

    4. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      " Get the f_ck outta regulating everything. " - Yeah get the fuck outta here, doing your jobs as elected representatives of the public will, 80-90% supporting this. Get the fuck outta here, lol. Come back to Moscow with me, my traitor Donald...

      I promise to use the caviar lube...

    5. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

      I'm all in on net neutrality, but the Democrats are being really stupid about this. Why on earth would they bring this to bear when they already know the president will veto it? It's just going to make it less likely that the next congress will bring up such a bill.

      Well for one thing it'll make it obvious who supports the American people and who doesn't. If he goes on record against Net Neutrality then it's another strike to be used against him.

      Watch how the next crop of candidates running will be only too happy to show their taxes and school transcripts, while this self-described "stable genius" president is too scared do do either. How do you think that's gonna look?

      I know it won't matter to his brainwashed supporters, but everyone else will pay attention and (hopefully) vote accordingly.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    6. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by h33t+l4x0r · · Score: 1

      I would have preferred if they called it the "F_ck Ajit Pai Act"

    7. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      F_ck Democrats. Nothing but whiney losers.

    8. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      We all know the Mueller report is going to be nothing. You'll grasp for straws, but the ultimate humiliation of years of emotional investment into zero evidence, zero indictments, and zero truth will be devastating. You will legitimately consider suicide. (I hope you do)

      But stick around. Trump is on track to win in 2020, and produce another Supreme Court Justice. Hopefully two.

      We've won the culture war. 64% of Generation Z identifies with conservative ideals. Your own party has been exposed as Communists and antisemitic, hijacking climate change and racial justice to push authoritarian leftist oppression.

      Here, read this. It will make me feel better.

      https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/03/18/americans-feel-good-about-economy-ahead-of-trump-2020-re-election-bid.html

    9. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by Roodvlees · · Score: 2

      The internet is doing fine without government terrorism.
      Your faith in government meddling is strong.

      --
      Thank you, Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden and so many others, for courageously defending humanity, my freedom and more!
    10. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quite true that party allegiance changes from one generation to the next, generally as a way of rebelling against their parents. The fact that the dems are currently doing so poorly in the prime of millenials being in young adulthood shows just how badly the dem party is doing. A large percentage of millenials are dem leaning since their parents tended to be more repub leaning. By the time the 2020 election and for sure the 2024 election comes around the 1st wave of gen z will be at voting age. 2020 will probably be the last gasp of the dems for another generation. repub backing will likely just get stronger over the next decade or so. If the dems can't pull it off in 2020 they may as well step back, clean house of the likes of clinton and pelosi, regroup and try again in a decade. Hopefully by then clinton and pelosi will have croaked.

    11. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We don't elect them to control every aspect of our lives you know this right? We don't elect them in hopes they will make the world gumdrops and unicorn farts. You do know this right? Or do you not understand what government is really for?

    12. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I could give two shits about tax returns and school transcripts. Making them public is NOT a requirement nor is there even law that says they must be produced to run/be president. Just because prior candidates/presidents were all too willing to give up their privacy does not make a law or requirement.

      Qualifications for the Office of President
      Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1
      No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.
      Term limit amendment - US Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1 - ratified February 27, 1951
      No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

    13. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *your face when you realize Obama refused (and never has) released any of his transcripts*

      *your face when you realize Bernie refused (and never has) released any of his tax returns*

    14. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When it was a leftwinger and black with a suspicious name, THEN you cared a LOT about taxes and school reports. Now it's a nominally white rightwinger in charge, not so much.

    15. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Like Obama did with his transcripts, etc?

      Oh wait....

    16. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      It's got nothing to do with race and everything to do about politics.

      I mean come on, the democrats objected to Obama showing a birth certificate which is a hell of a lot less private than taxes.

    17. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And which has hell of a lot to do with ACTUAL LAW regarding being president. being a us citizen!!!

    18. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Rhipf · · Score: 1

      But even when he did produce the birth certificate the Republicans and Trump weren't satisfied that Obama was born in the US and eligible to be President.

    19. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      they may as well step back, clean house of the likes of clinton and pelosi, regroup and try again in a decade. Hopefully by then clinton and pelosi will have croaked.

      And replace it with what? Acasio-Cortez? Ilhan Omar? Kamala Harris? Corey Booker?
      It's amazing that I'm sitting here thinking the current crop of Dems are seasoned, respectable statesmen, due to the new loons their pushing forward.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    20. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      If the government were doing there job, the communications lines would be a public asset just like the roads. Anything that requires the power of imminent domain is a public asset. If it is important enough to take it by force for the public good, it is important enough to remain in the public's control. All of these issues about NN would go away if the communications infrastructure was not abusable by private entities.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    21. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      And? The point was both sides ask for personal things and both sides refuse to comply. Obama never turned over his school transit and took 3 years to show his birth certificate (as was his right.)

    22. Re: F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why not? Just because they're not WASP, you are flabbergasted at the idea of them being president?

    23. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree, the government let them monopolize the infrastructure. I am normally 100% against eminent domain. I feel the government should seize all of the cable/fiber installed since from what I've seen the ISP's laughed when they got the rebates or w/e you want to call it for upgrading and expanding the networks. They should then lease the conduits/raceways the same as how telco leased for dialup. Modern day ISP's should be like they were in the 90's with dialup. cable owner leased out time to anybody willing to pay at the same prices. remember when you had dozens of ISP's in dialup days because they all leased the lines from the telco and were all in the same building. making real competition. I think they wised up to their fuckup during that time.

      -OP

  2. Re:80%-90% of Americans (voters) support Net Neutr by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

    80-90% may be for NN, but only 20% think it is an important issue, and about 0.1% will change their vote because of it.

  3. Re:F_ck Ajit Pai IN FEDERAL PRISON, THEN STATE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://www.cnet.com/news/ajit-pai-fcc-broadband-adviser-nabbed-in-alleged-250m-fraud-plan/
    https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/manhattan-us-attorney-announces-arrest-former-ceo-alaska-based-fiber-optic-company
    https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/fbi-investigating-identity-theft-in-net-neutrality-comments-report-says/
    https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/03/02/fcc-ethics-violation-gun-nra/
    http://fortune.com/2018/12/05/fcc-fraud-comments-chair-admits/

  4. Re:80%-90% of Americans (voters) support Net Neutr by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That statistic is bullshit.

  5. Welcome sham voting season by SuperKendall · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nothing worse than an endless parade of bills that are voted on just to virtue signal, with no chance of accomplishing anything.

    Would be nice if everyone would try to work together to solve real problems.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re: Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Democrats like wasting everyone's time just to make propaganda for the TV trolls.

    2. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      "Virtue signal" is ungrammatical and silly. You're allowed to say "signal their virtuousness" if you like.

    3. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Z80a · · Score: 1

      The real fix, that is opening the local markets to allow actual competition (that naturally generates net neutrality in the process), this no one wanna touch.

    4. Re: Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only endless parading is going to be SuperKendoll with all my bills in his g-string. I'll need them back before he puts the lotion on. Mmm... walk real slow boy, back to the basement now.

    5. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah, it's just used like the Bat-Signal, 'cept it only summons white knights.

    6. Re:Welcome sham voting season by tlhIngan · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Nothing worse than an endless parade of bills that are voted on just to virtue signal, with no chance of accomplishing anything.

      Would be nice if everyone would try to work together to solve real problems.

      You want government to Do Something(tm), you'll get stuff like the Patriot Act.

      In general, when government is tied up and unable to accomplish anything useful, things outside of government get done.

      Also means stuff that requires fine details to be sorted out, like gun control, to either not go forward, or for it to take its own time to be hashed out, rather than rushed out and full of holes.

      Beware when some bill passes quickly - it usually means something in there is set to screw you over. When government is log jammed it means they're not making up laws to screw you over.

    7. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why can't the house get back to voting to repeal Obamacare- like the Republicans did 60 times. The republicans spent far more time posturing and virtue signalling when they had then chamber during Obamas second term.

      Why can't everyone work together? Because the people disagree. When that happens you have to fight.

      Frankly republicans are better at apologetically pushing for their priorities and fighting for them. I wish democrats would fight harder.

      If they put net neutrality to a vote- thats a good thing even if it doesn't pass. At least they stated their position on an important issue.

    8. Re:Welcome sham voting season by packrat0x · · Score: 1

      The real fix, that is opening the local markets to allow actual competition (that naturally generates net neutrality in the process), this no one wanna touch.

      Do you mean: eliminating state granted monopolies to the landline phone companies, eliminating gross revenue taxes levied on cable companies by local governments (aka "the franchise fee"), or both?

      --
      227-3517
    9. Re:Welcome sham voting season by packrat0x · · Score: 1

      You want government to Do Something(tm), you'll get stuff like the Patriot Act.

      Also remember: the Patriot Act was written in 1999 and was sitting in committee until 2001.

      --
      227-3517
    10. Re:Welcome sham voting season by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      And how do you propose to do that given the massive costs of laying new infrastructure?

      And why would that magically give us net neutrality? Aren't we more likely to see a race to the bottom as companies realize they can use traffic discrimination to create new tiers of service, allowing them to advertise a lower base rate? "Comcast charges $60 for broadband, but here at Honest Z80a's we charge just $5! Plus, choose from any of the following $10 add-ons: Social Networking Pack, Wikipedia Pack, News and Sport pack, Alt-News pack with FOX(tm), Movies Pack, and Music Pack!"

      If you're about to shake your head and say no, that'll never happen because competition is perfect, that's how the airline industry works right now, it's how satellite vs cable has been working for decades, hell, you can't buy a car without theoretically optional but not really features from being omitted from the sticker price.

      Why would Internet access be any different in an environment where ISPs fear only their competitors, not regulators who are, in a perfect world, answerable to the public, and in an imperfect world, at least under the control of politicians being lobbied by the Internet businesses screwed over by anti-NN policies?

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    11. Re:Welcome sham voting season by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Would be nice if everyone would try to work together to solve real problems.

      What is there to work out? Pai refuses to do what his position mandates is his job. By now he's been caught lying about the NN "DDOS" attacks. Congress has oversight over the FCC, but up until the Democrats took control of the House have been unwilling to do anything about Pai and the FCC.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    12. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Geez, do you EVER stop with the bullshit pro-GOP shilling and spinning?

    13. Re:Welcome sham voting season by liquid_schwartz · · Score: 1

      Nah, it's just used like the Bat-Signal, 'cept it only summons white knights.

      Those most likely to engage in virtue signalling want nothing to do with anything white.

    14. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The irony is that using terms like "virtue signalling" is a form of virtue signalling, just for the other side.

    15. Re:Welcome sham voting season by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      The real fix is giving putting the government in charge of the infrastructure. The cable lines should never have been privately owned in the first place. I lean Libertarian, but the libertarian ideal of all roads being privately owned is insane. The ridiculous debate we're having over NN exemplifies how.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    16. Re: Welcome sham voting season by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you for giving me my new name for the media. I appreciate it sir! Onward you must spread this wide and far!

  6. We had to destroy the Internet in order to save it by SlaveToTheGrind · · Score: 1

    'nuff said.

  7. Re:80%-90% of Americans (voters) support Net Neutr by bondsbw · · Score: 1

    That's really a big problem, isn't it? To support Net Neutrality, I have to support a politician who aligns with values that are completely unrelated.

    I can't blame someone who thinks other issues are more important. But we shouldn't have to make that choice in the first place.

    (Just to be clear... I do personally support many of those values.)

    --
    All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
  8. Re:"Shanghai" Bill is a known liar many times over by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't mean to contradict you, but he's not wrong, THIS time.

  9. This by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nothing worse than an endless parade of bills that are voted on just to virtue signal, with no chance of accomplishing anything.

    Lots of stuff is worse, but it is pretty stupid. We are paying millions of dollars for Congress to spend time on a show-vote. You'd be better off shutting off all Congressional salaries for a day and hiring a few extra math teachers, for example.

    Would be nice if everyone would try to work together to solve real problems.

    You must be new here...

  10. Sound And Fury, Signifying Nothing by GlennC · · Score: 1

    This is only "Team Red" and "Team Blue" arguing in public, desperately trying to maintain the illusion of two separate political parties.

    When all is said and done, nothing will change.

    --
    Go on, citizen, stamp the vote card. R or D, your choice.
  11. Now you are getting it by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    the Democrats are being really stupid about this. Why on earth would they bring this to bear when they already know the president will veto it? It's just going to make it less likely that the next congress will bring up such a bill.

    You have inadvertently revealed the game. Make sure to vote for things that are popular when they can have no effect, so that you'll not be voting on things later that might make the giant corporations that support you mad.

    It's the same reason why neither the Democrats nor Republicans ever seem to get much passed when they control both house and senate.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re: Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thing is it's not likely to even reach his desk. Net "Neutrality" isn't funding the wall via powers Congress previously ceded. It won't get through the Senate.

    2. Re:Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Rotating Villain" - Democrats have to play it a little harder because they make all those promises they have no intentions of keeping. This is to keep "liberal" money in the corral. They're no being "stupid" at all.

      It's a shame nobody will vote for opposition to the GOP/DNC cartel. People are just too comfortable, I guess.

    3. Re: Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      My taxes went up 6% and Healthcare went up 280% when Democrats gained control, but poverty increased and average lifespan decreased.

      My taxes went down 12% and Healthcare went up 1.1% this year. I'm being paid more, my friends and family are all happily employed in good jobs, North Korea hasn't tested a missile or nuke in 16 months, we're exiting never ending wars, Islamic extremists haven't been nearly as effective as they were under Obama, and someone is at least trying to enforce our laws and promote American exceptionalism instead of shitting on us and apologizing for some crime we never committed.

    4. Re: Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

      Putin's cock went up your ass 100% this year, and you liked it because you're a treasonous lying faggot. You have no friends, everyone hates trolls. You don't have a job, and North Korea is readying a missile test right now on a site they told Trump the moron they had permanently closed already, lol. What a moron. So fat. But we have strong rope so when Mueller hangs his fat ass for treason, there will be no second chances. He'll go plop-fizz like Saddam did. You can kiss the shit of Vladimir Putin off his dick in Hell, when you join him there, unless by some miracle you manage to go to Federal prison also and get an earlier chance. Enjoy, traitor.

      http://www.ktvu.com/facebook-instant/ex-putin-adviser-who-died-in-us-had-broken-neck-reports-say - Just see what it gets you.

    5. Re:Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're unwilling to see the difference between a Republican and Democrat president and congress. Net neutrality existed under Obama, but doesn't under Trump.

      The difference is clear here, night and day. But you cannot see it.

    6. Re: Now you are getting it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      A fantastic example of why Trump will win in 2020.

      When faced with truth, all you had was a sniveling whine to retort.

    7. Re: Now you are getting it by JackieBrown · · Score: 2

      This post gets modded insightful? That is insane.

      Honestly, I was embarrassed by Trump at first and wished he would stop tweeting. But watching all the attacks and vicious ugly things said about his supporters, I am now glad he tweets and fights back.

      Being "civil" and "presidential" didn't stop Bush, McCain, and Rommey as well as their supporters from being labeled racists. The overuse if that label has diluted it of all meaning.

    8. Re: Now you are getting it by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      you're a treasonous lying faggot.

      Why the homophobia?

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
  12. "Support" vs "Cares About" by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    The optics for the President, because 80-90% of the public supports Net Neutrality,

    How many of those that "supports" net neutrality will care one whit about that issue when it comes time to vote. Maybe 0.001% of the populace would even think about it.

    You are right about optics, but it seems like a really stupid use of resources given it cannot actually pass, nor do any candidate any good whatsoever.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:"Support" vs "Cares About" by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"How many of those that "supports" net neutrality will care one whit about that issue when it comes time to vote. Maybe 0.001% of the populace would even think about it."

      And how many of the populous actually even understand Net Neutrality? I see wildly varying definitions from group after group. It is not a simple nor single concept, and it involves lots of creeping tendrils, such that what might be great in some ways are not great in others.

      Like with many things, it is hard to support a generic concept without heavy analysis of specific legislation being proposed.

    2. Re:"Support" vs "Cares About" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The optics for the President, because 80-90% of the public supports Net Neutrality,

      How many of those that "supports" net neutrality will care one whit about that issue when it comes time to vote. Maybe 0.001% of the populace would even think about it.

      You are right about optics, but it seems like a really stupid use of resources given it cannot actually pass, nor do any candidate any good whatsoever.

      Nothing has changed either way that I can tell. I don't know why everybody is up in arms.

    3. Re: "Support" vs "Cares About" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nobody on SLASHDOT cares about Net Neutrality, sure buddy. We practically drafted the bill here in an Ask Slashdot segment.

    4. Re:"Support" vs "Cares About" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And how many of the populace knows that's not the same word as populous, especially when deigning to impugn the intellectual granularity of the great unwashed masses? Like with many things, hypocrisy veils thinly.

      Neutrality is not complex as an idea. Legislation attempts to define that in detail sufficient to enforce it. The only real pushback is from the large ISPs that want to throttle outside-brand traffic.

      Could someone sneak in a rider, sure. That's not related to Net Neutrality, that's any legislation. You're saying legislation can be compromised. Yes. That has no bearing on Net Neutrality, except as Pai declined to fight for it.

      Congress is forced to level the playing field and they will do so. Instead of trying to sow potential doubts that don't exist yet, why don't you say what YOU would like to see in such legislation, hmm?

      I don't think you've given us a single point or idea on those merits yet.

    5. Re:"Support" vs "Cares About" by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Why don't you say what YOU would like to see in such legislation, hmm? I don't think you've given us a single point or idea on those merits yet."

      That wasn't the objective of the message. And I have no ulterior motives.

    6. Re:"Support" vs "Cares About" by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      You are right about optics, but it seems like a really stupid use of resources given it cannot actually pass, nor do any candidate any good whatsoever.

      Well, other than bogus investigations that the populace is starting to see for the fishing expeditions they are, what else do the Democrats have as legislative priorities? They can't exactly vote on reparations. All the candidates are jumping on that for their presidential platforms.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
  13. I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by RedK · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    But in the end, we can see the real damage to the Internet is from Silicon Valley monopolies enforcing restrictions on speech and suppressing their competition to prevent any actual free speech supporting platforms from starting up. Then they say their don't "editiorialize" and thus get to benefit from protections from law enforcement when they let actual unlawful behavior roam free while at the same time, enforcing their own politics in their moderation.

    What we need now is not to suppress ISP. We need an actual "Neutrality bill. We need the Internet Bill of Rights. We also need to make sure to remove protections from prosecution from Social media platform when they fail to remove unlawful content. Maybe then they'll spend time actually enforcing stuff that's illegal, rather than selecting which voices get to speak based on politics.

    --
    "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
    Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
    1. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

      We also need to make sure to remove protections from prosecution from Social media platform when they fail to remove unlawful content.

      Nope... Censorship is wrong.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by RedK · · Score: 0

      Censorship is wrong. Removing child pornography, Terrorist recruitment material, live stream killings, threats of physical violence is not censorship.

      Maybe if they concentrated on that stuff rather than Steven Crowderâ(TM)s latest rant or Charlie Kirkâ(TM)s opinion.

      --
      "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
      Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
    3. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, those are all 100% censorship. What they aren't is legal under free speech, because despite the braindead moron claims of those like yourself, there ARE ALWAYS limits to free speech and censorship is not always wrong. Blocking KP is censorship, 100%, clear and simple. It is also the right thing to do if the aim is to stop people getting into KP. Whether it helps crack down on KP that has actually happened, rather than future or potential child abuse, or not is debatable.

      All those things you claimed as not censorship is just you personally defining away censorship you agree with. Voltair's quote you grind up and spit out to virtue signal, but since it says "I might disagree with what you say, but I will fight to the death for your right to say it" and that you aren't fighting to the death to get KP or ISIS beheadings et al on Youtube, then either

      a) you're for censorship and the Voltair quote is meaningless to you
      b) you agree with kiddie porn and murder videos. The quote only says "disagree... fight for the right".

    4. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2

      But what are you really advocating? You're advocating that you get decide what a private company allows or does not allow under the guise of free speech.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    5. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by UnknowingFool · · Score: 2

      Who gets to decide what is censorship when it comes to a private company? Do you get to decide? Censorship really applies to the government in that the government can't decide what you can and cannot say.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    6. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by h4x0t · · Score: 1

      So you are still onboard with Net Neutrality, you just now want platforms responsible for what users post on their sites...
      Are you sure you know what NN is?

    7. Re: I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by edris90 · · Score: 1

      Yes it is censorship. The the reasons why a person may sensor May differ or be more or less acceptable relative to the dominant culture, but censorship is not a subjective term. If you purposely limit access to information you are practicing censorship.

    8. Re:I used to be onboard with Net Neutrality by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      Removing child pornography, Terrorist recruitment material, live stream killings, threats of physical violence is not censorship.

      Yes it is. You have no right to interfere with private communications. It is none of your business.

      And please sanitize your input, we don't do unicode here

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
  14. It's not a sham by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it's to get the GOP on record as opposing net neutrality. Right now a lot of the ones that run in unsafe districts will tell you with straight face that they love Net Neutrality... much like Senator Palpatine Loved Democracy, but they can't stand those icky bureaucrats misusing the Telecom Act to force it and oh, if only there were a law.

    This is put up or shut up time for those schmucks, and with how much cable money and AT&T cash they're sitting on it'll be shutup. In turn that'll be an issue in 2020 that might cost them their seat and give it to a Democrat. If that happens enough times then the Dems will pass the bill.

    This is how the sausage is made. Don't like it? Go vote for a Democrat in 2020. And if you don't like the candidates vote in your primary dammit.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:It's not a sham by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that the cable companies are paying the democrats to push "Net Neutrality".

      You are being scammed.

    2. Re:It's not a sham by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... the Dems will pass the bill.

      Only if it will get them re-elected. The modern Democrats are DINO: They differ from the GOP by ensuring their corporatism throws a bone to the working class. Similar to the recent corporate tax-cuts from the GOP, where in four years, the rich keep their tax-cuts but the middle-class don't

      I can't predict political issues for the next US election but I'm sure that main-stream media will censor the leftist issues of protecting the environment, legislating universal healthcare, or ending "tough on crime" class-warfare that voters are now discussing.

    3. Re:It's not a sham by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is how the sausage is made. Don't like it? Go vote for a Democrat in 2020. And if you don't like the candidates vote in your primary dammit.

      So how did that work for the GOP when they suddenly had the opportunity to repeal Obamacare and then all of a sudden decided not to? It's the same damned thing. The Democrats know this bill will never happen, so they're all for it. As soon as they have a chance to actually implement Net Neutrality they'll all of a sudden forget about it and be too busy passing mandates requiring people to buy whatever the new Democratic corporate backers want them to now.

      People forget that Tom Wheeler was a literal cable company lobbyist when he became head of the FCC. The Democrats fully expected him to serve the cable company's interests and block net neutrality. Him putting ISPs under Title II was betraying them.

      Pay attention.

    4. Re:It's not a sham by WaffleMonster · · Score: 1

      People forget that Tom Wheeler was a literal cable company lobbyist when he became head of the FCC. The Democrats fully expected him to serve the cable company's interests and block net neutrality.

      Wheeler only pulled Title II rabbit out of his hat in reaction to losing Verizon lawsuit.

      At that point after pushing open Internet nobody expected him to serve the cable company's interests. He already unambiguously demonstrated otherwise years before deciding to do Title II as a last resort.

    5. Re:It's not a sham by Uberbah · · Score: 1

      So how did that work for the GOP when they suddenly had the opportunity to repeal Obamacare and then all of a sudden decided not to?

      Because Obomneycare was always their damned plan. Has been since the Heritage Foundation wrote it in opposition to the Clinton plan in the early 90's. Dole ran on it in '96, and Romney pushed it into law on the state level in Massachusetts. That they flip-flopped in a partisan play does nothing to change that fact.

      Which is why Obomneycare is a great partisan hack test. If you're a Republican and you hate it, you must have voted for Clinton in '92 and '96. And for Democrats who loved it, you must have cried big tears when Romney lost the 2008 Republican primary.

    6. Re:It's not a sham by h4x0t · · Score: 1

      This makes no sense. There is a clear line between Ajit and Verizon, and you claim the 'democrats' are being paid to support something that is good for all consumers?

  15. I think the point is to keep piling up issues by rsilvergun · · Score: 2, Insightful

    where the GOP oppose the will of voters. Get enough of them and folks will stop voting for them.

    Most Americans support a $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All, ending the 8 wars we're in, tuition free college and even a federal jobs program of one kind or another. This is one nail in the coffin of the guys who've been screwing us over since the 80s (and that goes for any Dems who don't vote for it, especially in the Senate).

    --
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    1. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by markdavis · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >"Most Americans support a $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All,[...], tuition free college and even a federal jobs program of one kind or another."

      âoeWhen the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.â

      Most Americans will vote for anything that takes money from others (even future generations) to give it to themselves, regardless of the consequences to the economy or their freedom. Most Americans will also vote based on identity and feelings instead of facts and analysis. That is why the USA was set up as a Republic and with [what was supposed to be] some majorly constraining rules in the Constitution about what the Fed is allowed (very little) and not allowed (a lot) to do.

    2. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Mark Davis just explained Republicanism, not what "most Americans" actually want - the only thing he understands is greed and how to apologize for it.

      Fuck you bitch liar. Net Neutrality isn't "taking" from anyone, it's a guarantee of the public domain being unimpeded by toll roads by companies who didn't build it.

      FUCK YOU and your dishonest tapdance faggot shit. You and Kendall should burn in hell for all eternity.

    3. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You should say your insults out loud and not just in your head before you post them. It will hopefully make you not sound so stupid and emotionally tied to your rants.

      Fuck you bitch liar -- say that out loud. It doesn't sound coherent, at least not as a native english speaker.

    4. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"Mark Davis just explained Republicanism, not what "most Americans" actually want - the only thing he understands is greed and how to apologize for it."

      Um, no, what I explained was the difference between conservative and non-conservative. Its not about greed, but explaining that to you would be a waste of time....

      >"Fuck you bitch liar. FUCK YOU and your dishonest tapdance faggot shit. You and Kendall should burn in hell for all eternity."

      Wow, really intelligent conversation and thought process. I am sure you sway lots of people with such foul commentary.

    5. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by Known+Nutter · · Score: 1

      Wow, really intelligent conversation and thought process. I am sure you sway lots of people with such foul commentary.

      Why don't you simply ignore the bullshit and allow it to be modded to -1 in silence?

      --
      Beware of the Leopard.
    6. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by Shotgun · · Score: 1

      Most Americans support a $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All, ending the 8 wars we're in, tuition free college and even a federal jobs program of one kind or another. This is one nail in the coffin of the guys who've been screwing us over since the 80s (and that goes for any Dems who don't vote for it, especially in the Senate).

      And the polls show that the support fades faster than a Walmart t-shirt when people are told how much those programs will cost them.

      --
      Aah, change is good. -- Rafiki
      Yeah, but it ain't easy. -- Simba
    7. Re:I think the point is to keep piling up issues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The people directly benefiting from those things are not the ones paying the cost (Medicare and ending wars would save us huge amounts). So what you're saying is that voters care more about the greed of the rich than their own well being? ...actually that sounds plausible in much of the US

  16. Getting the populace off the Kool-Aid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    (ISP:) "We will let you stream Netflix ultra fast, faster than most websites _can deliver_(weasel words)!"

    (pol's:) "We want to ensure fairness in regards to internet traffic."

    Now which statement will win the heart of minds of the majority of the populace?

    1. Re: Getting the populace off the Kool-Aid by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Doh.. meant "Hearts and minds"

  17. Failure to comprehend the purpose. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 2

    Nothing worse than an endless parade of bills that are voted on just to virtue signal, with no chance of accomplishing anything.

    It's not virtue signalling if they really do want to pass it into legislation. It indicates to voters who is preventing legislation from being enacted that is widely supported by the public.

    Would be nice if everyone would try to work together to solve real problems.

    Alternatively, the public can be shown who should be voted out because they are not acting in the interests of the public.

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    1. Re:Failure to comprehend the purpose. by fustakrakich · · Score: 3

      Sorry, you're taking the theatrics too seriously. This is a very obvious PR sham. It's been done many times before. "Sometimes the magic works, sometimes it doesn't"

      People vote on promises and bullshit. If they judged politicians on their actual voting record, reelection rates would be closer to 20% instead of 95%.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re: Failure to comprehend the purpose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Net neutrality is a PR sham? Are you f'ing serious? Did slashdot forget what NN is, or have the trolls won?

    3. Re: Failure to comprehend the purpose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Net neutrality is a PR sham?

      Their version is, yes... This is plain old kabuki, part of the 2020 campaign. Can't argue with success, you are apparently believing it also, so there ya go...

    4. Re:Failure to comprehend the purpose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The hilarious thing is you suggest we should judge them on their voting record, but not have them bring this issue to a vote.

    5. Re:Failure to comprehend the purpose. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It not hard to see through their bullshit sham bills. And it is precisely because people don't care about voting records that this shit happens to begin with.

      And "Net Neutrality" isn't an issue, putting food on the table is, I don't give a shit about your stupid "Net Neutrality"! I want to put the bankers that steal our money and our houses every day in jail. And I am demanding universal health care. Wall Street can pay for it without breaking a sweat.

  18. Trust me, it's better this way by Solandri · · Score: 1

    I became politically aware during Reagan and Bush1's presidency, with control of Congress split. I thought it was was the worst thing ever that Congress couldn't get anything done. Then I got to experience the Democrats controlling both branches of Congress under Bush1, Clinton, and Obama; and the Republicans controlling both branches under Clinton, Bush2, and Trump. Trust me, it's better when control is split.

    See, Americans are on average centrist. Unfortunately, our plurality wins election system means the optimal solution is for there to be only 2 political parties - if you vote for a third party it's essentially a vote for the opposition party, as it takes away a vote away from the major party you more closely agree with. So when one of the two major parties has complete control, it results in laws and policies being passed which are either to the left or right of what Americans on average want. Worse yet, the extreme left and right are disproportionately effective at controlling both parties because those in the middle are split between two parties so their influence is halved, and each party is completely missing the opposite opposing viewpoints needed to balance out the extreme positions.

    So as bad as do-nothing split control is, it's preferable to one party being in control and passing stuff which is far to the left or right of what most Americans really want. The only real fix is some sort of instant runoff voting system, which allows you to vote for the candidate you really want, without fear of wasting your vote if that candidate doesn't really have a shot at winning.

    1. Re:Trust me, it's better this way by markdavis · · Score: 2

      >"The only real fix is some sort of instant runoff voting system"

      +1000

      https://fairvote.org/

    2. Re:Trust me, it's better this way by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Then I got to experience the Democrats controlling both branches of Congress under Bush1, Clinton, and Obama; and the Republicans controlling both branches under Clinton, Bush2, and Trump. Trust me, it's better when control is split.

      Democrats never had both branches at any time under Clinton. For a brief period the Democrats had the Senate under Clinton but never had the House.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  19. Re:80%-90% of Americans (voters) support Net Neutr by markdavis · · Score: 1

    >"I can't blame someone who thinks other issues are more important. But we shouldn't have to make that choice in the first place."

    Yet we always do, because we don't have much choice [in the USA]. There are actually only two parties (because of our horrible voting system). So the two take set stances on a whole sets of things, many of which most don't necessarily agree, so most voters are just SOL. We are forced to pick which issues are the most important- sometimes it might be only ONE issue, and all the other stuff we might not like comes along with the vote.

    Currently, the only other option is voting "3rd party." And that almost always ensures you are not only "throwing away" your vote, but also ensures the party you LEAST agree with will benefit from that vote due to the very real spoiler effect.

    The only solution is to have more parties so additional ones can form that more closely represent various positions and also help force the large/established parties to change and become more responsive. And that can only happen with some form of ranked voting system in the primaries and elections (like Instant Runoff Voting).

    http://fairvote.org/

  20. CALEA is back by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Worse, this isn't about what you think of "network neutrality." This is 100% about pushing CALEA requirements onto the internet. You do want all of your data snarfable without a warrant, right?

    1. Re:CALEA is back by WaffleMonster · · Score: 1

      Worse, this isn't about what you think of "network neutrality." This is 100% about pushing CALEA requirements onto the internet. You do want all of your data snarfable without a warrant, right?

      CALEA requires a warrant but you're right when you say this isn't really about network neutrality. The democrats could have done a clean NN bill but they instead elected to keep all the Title II bullshit intact.

  21. Re:80%-90% of Americans (voters) support Net Neutr by bondsbw · · Score: 1

    Yep, or Approval or Score voting methods.

    We are forced to pick which issues are the most important- sometimes it might be only ONE issue, and all the other stuff we might not like comes along with the vote.

    And I've noticed that over time, it is easy to become agreeable with those other stances, to the point we fight for them as hard as our primary issue. I did that for a while until I decided not to immediately dismiss the "other side".

    Now I tend to dig deep and look for compatibilities between each side, and from my perspective they are fairly agreeable for the 90%+ of circumstances which people don't talk about in political discussions.

    --
    All my liberal friends think I'm a conservative, all my conservative friends think I'm a liberal.
  22. Big government is back to slow your net by AHuxley · · Score: 1, Informative

    To keep your internet slow thanks to new federal rules and laws.
    No innovation, what of new innovative community broadband?
    Back to more federal rules and laws to keep existing network speeds.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    1. Re:Big government is back to slow your net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It definitely sucks
      to be lame ducks.

    2. Re:Big government is back to slow your net by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Under Pai, the FCC proposed to downgrade the meaning of broadband to 10 MB up / 1 MB down until strong opposition to keep it at 25 / 3. While everyone may not like what the FCC did under Wheeler increased it from 4 / 1 and his predecessor increased that from 200 K / 20 K.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    3. Re:Big government is back to slow your net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Net Neutrality regulation isn't want keeps the internet slow.

      Anti-competitive behavior on the part of the broadband cartel is what keeps the internet slow.

      Get a clue.

  23. Uniparty Speaker running uniparty script by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Speaker Pelosi is doing exactly what Speaker Ryan, Speaker Boehner, Speaker Wright, etc all did --- Having votes on bills the party base voters care about but which will never go through the Senate and never be signed into law by the president. Same thing Boehner and Ryan both pulled with Obamacare --- those guys had votes in the House something like 60 times to repeal Obamacare and they really ramped up the enthusiasm of their base voters who were thus manipulated tnto thinking "if we just turn-out better in the next election then this stuff will obviously pass and become law." Of course, it's NOT so obvious to career politicians that this will pass [wink]...

    The dirty little secret in DC was exposed by the last House: when it finally DID have the "right" Senate majority and President then suddenly could not pull the trigger -- and that was no mistake. The secret is that neither party establishment has any intention of solving anything --- actually solving anything would eliminate a fund raising and get-out-the-vote mobilizing theme. The Republican establishment was just as terrified of Trump as the Democrats were, since he was serious about doing stuff they'd been yammering about for decades and they suspected he actually meant it --- their response was to help the Democrats stop him. The Democrat establishment is the same. They will rant and rave about all sorts of stuff like this without actually doing it --- for now they'll blame the failure on the Republican Senate or President Trump. If they get an establishment Democrat into the White House in 2020, they'll have all sorts of procedural reasons why it cannot be done, and if they get a wild-eyed bushy-tailed progressive into the White House, then the establishment will align with their uniparty pals in the GOP establishment to stop it.

    Young people who want cheaper access to Netflix are far less important to politicians than the wealthy special interests who fund their campaigns. It's the same for the DNC and for the RNC and voters need to wake up and stop being so easilly manipulated.

  24. Can't wait to see the pork that ends up in it. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cause that's all these kinds of bills are good for. Slipping in some pork at the last minute for high dollar contributors or some pet project(s) back in the home district for the bill's sponsor. Oh just never mind that small paragraph on the 2nd to last page, it's just "legal boiler plate"

  25. Cool story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In the Senate, under sham votes to get the other party on record.

    GOP attempted to pass a bill protecting live born babies from being "aborted" after born alive. DNC voted in block NO on it.
    GOP is bringing up Green New Deal for vote in Senate, Schumer was upset saying they were trying to kill it by bringing it up for vote.

    So we have DNC on record supporting killing live babies and against voting on Green New Deal. We have GOP on record against NN which you have trouble explaining to the average person.

    DNC, and you, appear to be far dumber than average. Keep telling us how killing live born babies is a good thing.

    1. Re:Cool story by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DNC, and you, appear to be far dumber than average. Keep telling us how killing live born babies is a good thing.

      Unless you're prepared to argue the military should stand down and disband and that police should be forbidden form using deadly force even in self defense, you're being a hypocrite to claim there exists no circumstance under which killing people might be justified, and from there having established you are not actually against murder we're just 'arguing over price'.

      Euthanizing babies that have sevear birth defects is probably more compassionate than forcing them to live in agony until the defect kills them.

  26. Democrats love control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I see the Democrats are still trying to reign in control of the internet with their obtuse and incorrectly worded "save the internet act" which does anything but save the internet. For Democrats saving the internet means government controlling the internet. Ah, well. Democrats can apparently do no wrong.

  27. Well why would the press put something up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    that he pre-states will be blocked by the democrats? And why haven't you JAQed off THIS question when it's come up MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE, but only when it's the democrats trying to do something? Are you trying to pretend concern so that the dems won't try anything? That reason fits the data we have available.

  28. You were concern trolling. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And to do so you both maligned the politicians trying o do something positive AND everyone who isnt your enlightened educated self who knows what NN is, even though you never say what YOU think it is.

    Kinda fucked up your concern there to show it wasn't genuine concern, just concern trolling to get people to think that politicians TRYING to do something positive is a bad idea if it's democratic politicians doing the trying against the wishes of the republicans.

  29. Um, no by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You are a conservative so you gave the conservative view and the conservative's view on the non conservative's view.
    Remember your post about how "nobody knows" what NN is, so the 80-90% stat is to your desires "worthless"?
    You DESERVE the insults, shithead.

  30. By "their" you mean the slashdot trolls by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because NN has always meant that you treat the source and destination equally in priority, and it is only the pro-corporate shills, the trolls and the cantankerously-against-the-democrats-no-matter-what who insist that either THEY have the "right" definition or everyone else gets it wrong.

  31. Nah, you're both missing it by Uberbah · · Score: 1

    Getting politicians on the record opposing popular legislation is just as important as getting them to support it. So you can vote them out of office in the next election, after which your bill is brought up again. If it's still blocked, repeat the process until it is passed.

  32. And the point is you're lying by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It wasn't "both sides refused to comply". Trump refuses to comply, Obama did comply. Tax returns were never asked for from Obama because he gave them up without asking. His birth certificate was given over when demanded. If he doesn't HAVE something, it isn't refusing to not give what isn't there.
    Oh, and when the demands for Sec State info came out from you rightwing nutbags, not only was the info handed over, it included personal emails from Hillary too, which wasn't legally required to be handed over.

    1. Re:And the point is you're lying by JackieBrown · · Score: 1

      He doesn't have his school transcript? It took him 3+ years to find his birth certificate.

  33. Sorry, to be clear "Corporate" Democrats by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    oppose Net Neutrality. Folks like Nancy Pelosi & Chuck Schumer (though at the moment I think the party's base has dragged them in line).

    Basically, there's a class of right wing Democrats who vote like Republicans on just about everything (except maybe Abortion & the ACA). These are typically called Corporate Democrats, "Clinton" Democrats of (if you're one of them) "New" Democrats. They're functionally identical to a Republican but run as Democrats.

    This is why it's important to show up to your primary. There's right wingers on both sides and they both support the same right wing policies.

    --
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    1. Re:Sorry, to be clear "Corporate" Democrats by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is why it's important to show up to your primary.

      So you can get told "that's cute and all, but this old hag is going to run instead of your preference."
      Do you get dumber by the day? Did you tip the dementia age as few years ago? Cause I mean... Do you read the shit you type?

  34. Been online for few decades. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The internet was unfair until the last year of Obama. He decided he needed to put his chosen few in charge as he was out of time. A lot of freedom loving people here seem to skip that basic fact. Power grabs hurt us all.

  35. why bring up any bills at all? by Phantom+of+the+Opera · · Score: 1

    It's not even the Pres.
    It's the Senate; McConnell will never bring up bills that have the slightest odor of not helping big donors.

  36. nothing worse? by Phantom+of+the+Opera · · Score: 1

    They force lawmakers to take a stand and vote.

    Is that what you mean by virtue signalling?

    I can think of plenty of worse things.

  37. million of dollars? by Phantom+of+the+Opera · · Score: 1

    FUD FUD FUD!

  38. most people understand by Phantom+of+the+Opera · · Score: 1

    That their own taxes pay for these things, and don't consider them "free".

    It is a straw man to say those who want government programs want "free" things.

    1. Re:most people understand by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"That their own taxes pay for these things, and don't consider them "free"."

      The people most using such government programs are not the ones paying for them, or they are paying for a small fraction of a percent over their whole life. When one gets something you one doesn't pay for, it is free to them; a "gift" forced from others or from our children and our children's children in the form of trillions of dollars of unpaid, increasingly unservicable debt.

      That is not to say I am against all government programs or aid, but certainly not to the extent we have now, nor at a Federal level, nor the way they have been implemented. I much prefer things like "teach a man to fish" and "the rising tide raises all boats" than to handouts with token strings.

      I believe the Fed is entirely too huge, too expensive, too wasteful, and far too removed from from localities to be effective in those things not clearly assigned to it by the Constitution. We have raised multiple generations of people now partially or even totally dependent on the government for "aid", jobs, kickbacks, and services which has created an ever-growing "beast" which continues to be become less responsive and more corrupt and self-serving. More and more, citizens are now "victims" who are owed something from everyone else, raised without any work ethics, solid values, responsibilities, or any understanding of the dwindling away of their freedom. It is scary and can't end well.

      >"It is a straw man to say those who want government programs want "free" things."

      Perhaps. But it tends to be the reality I see.

  39. You forgot the tag lines by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    #JusticeDemocrats #Wolf-PAC #TYT #TYTNetwork #TuckerCalsonFucksHisRoomba

  40. Yep, and it goes right back up by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    when you explain the benefits (or, in the case of Medicare for All, that it's several trillion cheaper than our current system).

    Yeah, you can game polls, but you can't game reality. The folks down in North Carolina just got a lesson in that.

    --
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  41. yeah, keep dreaming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most Americans do indeed support "Medicare for all" when they are told it means free unlimited medical care at bargain prices,

    But

    They oppose it when they are then told the truth, namely, that Medicare only works by cost-shifting the healcare costs of the elderly onto people with private insurance, who then end up paying a lot more for their meds, tests, operations, and doctord visits - and that if you eliminate private insurance all you end up doing is eliminating Medicare and putting all Americans into a big government-run health rationing service.

    No private insurance, which is what "Medicare for all" proposes, makes Medicare impossible.