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You are here: Home / Economics / Free Markets Solve Everything / A Circumstance Beyond His Control

A Circumstance Beyond His Control

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Smell the butthurt:

Congressional Republicans are accusing the White House of having “an improper influence” over the Federal Communications Commission’s decision on net neutrality, and are launching an investigation.

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform wrote to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler today demanding documentation of all communication between FCC personnel and the White House, as well as calendar appointments, visitor logs, and meeting minutes related to meetings with the White House, and all internal documents discussing the views and recommendations of the White House.

“Reports indicate that the views expressed by the White House potentially had an improper influence on the development of the draft Open Internet Order circulated internally at the Commission on February 5, 2015,” the letter from committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said. “Specifically, there are questions regarding the FCC’s decision to promote the reclassification of broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.”

Obama gave a whole speech calling on the FCC to reclassify broadband under Title II. Maybe Chaffetz should subpoena a computer with a web browser and an Internet connection to Google the fucking thing. Whether or not the FCC regulates broadband under Title II, Tom Wheeler will go back to being a lobbyist making millions of dollars if he so chooses. Obama’s got nothing to hold over his head other than perhaps not inviting his grandkids to the next Easter egg roll.

I’m holding my reaction to the Title II reclassification until we see the details. As explained here, as much as the incumbents might whine and pout, what’s been revealed so far show that Title II is not that big a deal. The rules will keep the Verizons of the world from realizing their fantasy of turning the experience of using their network into an eternal airplane ride where the only thing you could reach via the slow wifi are the Verizon equivalents of an in-flight magazine and a SkyMall catalog. But they won’t give the FCC authority to regulate out-of-control cellular data charges, nor will they force cable companies to let another carrier use the last mile of their cable plant to provide faster service to customers.

As for the politics of the thing, even a party as bad at messaging as the Democrats will probably be able to tie Republicans whining about Title II to hated corporate shitbirds like Time-Warner or Comcast.

Reader Interactions

49Comments

  2. 2.

    Baud

    I wonder if Republican Congresscritters will reveal all of their communications with the two GOP commissioners at the FCC, who will certainly vote against reclassification.

  5. 5.

    Hunter Gathers

    @MattF: Give Rand Paul a couple of days. He’ll tie Title II to vaccines, Benghazi!, and the tyranny of anti-discrimination laws. And then he’ll promptly bitch when his remarks are reported on, and his legion of Douchebros will descend upon all of us screaming about freedom and men’s rights.

  6. 6.

    Morzer

    @Hunter Gathers:

    I am sure we’ll learn that business owners should have the right to refuse service to those internets and that Congress should not intervene improperly with legislation.

  7. 7.

    Gravenstone

    Someone should investigate Rep. Chaffetz’s bank records to see just how much money he and his campaign for eternal reelection are getting from the various telecoms.

  9. 9.

    Baud

    even a party as bad at messaging as the Democrats will probably be able to tie Republicans whining about Title II to hated corporate shitbirds like Time-Warner or Comcast. voters don’t care about net neutrality.

    This will be decided by the courts.

  11. 11.

    dolgre

    Chaffetz has some big donors from the technology industry. Comcast, a staunch opponent of Title II classification, accounted for $15,100 in donations in the most recent election cycle through the company’s political action committee and employees, according to OpenSecrets.org. An even bigger donor for Chaffetz was Google, which gave $21,000. Google told the FCC that Title II could provide some advantages to its Google Fiber service, yet Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt also urged White House officials to avoid Title II reclassification, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    Chaffetz’s skillz couldn’t get him a job cleaning the bathrooms at Pizza Hut, but he’ll always be able to schmooze for a living, which will get him big money jobs when he gets out of office.

    I swear to God, when will the rank and file out there who vote these hucksters in realize that PERSONAL WEALTH GAIN IS THE ONLY reason 95% of Republicans in office are there? Not to serve the public. Not to protect liberty or the Constitution. Not even to save the lives of the little feetuses. It’s all the connections and money they make getting there, staying there, and afterwards.

    “Little” office holders like Chaffetz win the equivalent of the State Lottery for a few short years of humping every leg they see. But the Republican Party Presidential Primary/Clown Car Candidate? Now that’s like winning the “Mega Millions”.

    If you took this aspect of public office away by outlawing it, the House would turn D overnight as the rats jumped ship.

  12. 12.

    Iowa Old Lady

    I’m listening to Rachel Maddow from last night. She’s saying that news organizations who uncritically accept ISIS’s claim that Jordanian bombs killed an American hostage are doing ISIS’s propaganda work for them, “almost as if they took an ISIS video and posted it online for all the world to see.”

    Oooh. Burn!

  15. 15.

    samiam

    Markymux still trying to blog about a world he doesn’t understand. Doing exactly what Republicans want when they want. Of course they are going after someone with more influence than a nobody on a nothing site. These things do tend to bubble up from the bottom though.

  17. 17.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    @Iowa Old Lady: Tom Cotton, Cory Gardner and Tom Tillis all used ISIS propaganda in their campaign ads, and I suspect for the last two it’s what put them over the top. Also, too, McCain and Graham helping AQ build up their image as an all-powerful international organization

    “Reports indicate that the views expressed by the White House potentially had an improper influence on the development of the draft Open Internet Order circulated internally at the Commission on February 5, 2015,” the letter from committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) said. “Specifically, there are questions regarding the FCC’s decision to promote the reclassification of broadband services under Title II of the Communications Act of 1934.”

    I’m picturing some poor Tea Bagger trying to put that on his sign under a picture of Obama with a hitler ‘stache. “MYRT! Run down the Wal-Mart, get me some more markers, wouldya? The Kenyan is potentially exerting an improper influence under title two…. aw hell, get Jimmy to make that witch doctor picture on the macintosh machine again”

  19. 19.

    Zinsky

    They have no idea how to legislate or negotiate, so they have to investigate. What a pathetic bunch of spoiled, privileged infantile children!

  21. 21.

    Villago Delenda Est

    Um, guys, we’re talking about the blah President here. There is literally nothing he does that will not be criticized by vile Rethugican racist scum.

  26. 26.

    Baud

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    Not that you’re wrong, but net neutrality has been a legitimate partisan issue for some time now. And congressional investigations of improper influence over the FCC are probably older than the FCC itself. This is unremarkably standard stuff.

  29. 29.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @Baud: Well, in this case, the “improper influence” is not in the bloodsucking interests of the vampiric vermin of the large telcos/telecom outfits. So obviously it needs to be investigated.

  31. 31.

    BruceFromOhio

    Maybe Chaffetz should subpoena a computer with a web browser and an Internet connection to Google the fucking thing.

    Oh, sure, empty your cat’s litterbox on their parade. It’s always about the dinero. Always.

  32. 32.

    Buddy H

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: “aw hell, get Jimmy to make that witch doctor picture on the macintosh machine again”

    I’m not sure the teabaggers frequent the apple™ store. I think they buy the walmart microsoft product and use Windows 96 for their free speech exercises.

  36. 36.

    tsquared2001

    Is this an open thread? Where is the guy who loves the red devils from Liverpool?
    I got five on Everton.

  38. 38.

    Amir Khalid

    @tsquared2001:
    Tsk, tsk. Manchester United are the Red Devils. Liverpool FC are the Reds. I’m hoping Stevie G will score in, and win, his last-ever Merseyside derby. It would make up for not seeing him retire from Liverpool as a one-club man.

  39. 39.

    tsquared2001

    @Amir Khalid: You know how it goes – red is red.

    Mr. Gerrard is playing quite well. Almost had a Pele like goal.

    I still got five on The Blues.

  45. 45.

    Tommy

    @Amir Khalid: You football people. I went to see my niece, she is six, watch her play soccer. It was a massively cool thing. As a kid that was the first sport I played. As I watched her maybe the ball came across my feet. Stopped it and did a few things with it. Girls here kind of stunned this “old man” could dribble a ball. Just said hey I used to play soccer when I was your age.

  46. 46.

    Botsplainer

    Here’s what I put in my practice blog just now on TurboTax.

    Identity Theft is far off of my usual topic of family law, I but feel compelled to urge readers to complete and file tax returns immediately.

    Due to the number of data thefts that have occurred at large financial and insurance institutions, there are millions of pieces of information on taxpayers that are now widely circulating (most recently, Anthem’s data on 80 million people was compromised). The purloined information can include full names, social security numbers, dates of birth, addresses, educational information and health information. Due to an extremely negligent decision by TurboTax (a division of Intuit), an option was created whereby refunds could be paid out on untraceable prepaid debit cards and Amazon gift cards with scant control on how much proof would be required for the recipient to verify identity.

    This created a climate by which thieves could use all of that stolen data on a grand scale for the purpose of identity theft.

    As of now, many thousands of innocent people have been affected by the use of compromised data for thieves to file returns using TurboTax and obtain refunds on those stolen identities. Minnesota, Massachusetts, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Utah and some other jurisdictions have halted accepting TurboTax filings, and TurboTax imposed a brief moratorium on all state filings on Friday while they attempted to determine if they had a software breach, their spokeswoman declaring that there isn’t a Federal problem.

    Yesterday, I spent 3.5 hours on hold with the IRS to the Practitioner Priority Line with regard to a fraudulently filed return where an identity thief claimed a Federal refund on the account of a Kentucky taxpayer (the bogus return claiming a Florida address); the taxpayer’s name, Kentucky address, social security and date of birth were known. According to the representative I spoke with, the problem is massive this year, and is now consuming huge amount of Service resources.

    This problem goes well beyond TurboTax customers. Due to the ubiquitous nature of the data leaks, lifelong paper filers, those who use H&R Block or local accountants can be affected. As TurboTax still refuses to see that the problem lies with their unique system of issuing these refund cards with inadequate controls, I believe it unlikely that this will be over anytime soon, and that time will enable these thieves to continue stealing refunds until the prepaid debit cards are better controlled.

    Right now, the best solution I can suggest is to file immediately, so as to deprive the thieves of the ability to hit you first.

    If you already find yourself affected by this, I stand ready to assist. I’ve long held privileges with the IRS and am admitted to tax court; I’m familiar with the service requirements, forms and background documentation necessary to cure issues like these, and can provide solid guidance with what to expect as well as what to do. You can contact me using the number on this blogpage or my regular direct line, xxxxxxxxxxx. You can also contact me via email, xxxxxxxxxxxxx..

    Thanks for your attention to this!

  47. 47.

    David Koch

    Mistermix,

    Aren’t you moving the goal post?

    For years, all I’ve read on political blogs was the demand to save/cement net neutrality. I’ve never once read the demand to regulate data prices and force additional carriers. Those are nice ideas, something that should be championed. But not even Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders have called for that.

  49. 49.

    billb

    The IRS and the FBI are clearly powerless to stop the massive theft of your personal info, and have no interest in your tax return and bank account being stolen. Further they really do not care if you get ripped off. For all we know they are in league with the ‘bad guys’.

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