Bad telecom McCain is back, and just as smarmy about protecting telecom as ever.

On Thursday, 72 Democrats sent a letter to the Chairman of the FCC, Julius Genachowski. The letter concerns net neutrality, which, according to the Chairman, is set to be enshrined as the FCC's official policy. The letter is very odd, especially if you're not well versed in telecom lobbyist lingo. It lays out "concerns" relating to net neutrality that really don't make much sense.

It's a big day for net neutrality. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski officially endorsed net neutrality as the policy for the FCC.

The Wall St. Journal wrote this morning that Google has sold out Network Neutrality. Naturally we trust Murdoch to tell us the truth in all things. No, wait. We don't. As it typical with The Journal, it turns out they're lying across the board. The President-elect denies the claim he is backing off NN

John Harwood and Gerald Seib's new book "Pennsylvania Avenue: Profiles in Backroom Power" is accurately subtitled. This is not about profiles in courage, but profiles of powerbrokers -- inside and outside government, of both parties, and in various kinds of jobs. Welcome, John and Jerry, to the FDL Book Salon!

99 Poems about Ted Stevens! 63 on Tuesday, 36 on Wednesday. And although Ted hasn't been surfacing in the news today like he was earlier in the week, the sun doesn't set in the North this time of the year, until very late. Ted did call me though. It was a robo-call. I was really hoping that he'd call, or that somebody from his staff would call back, accepting my offer inviting somebody in his Alaska office to help judge this contest over the weekend. But, no, just another damn GOP robo-call. Here's my favorite part of Ted's call: Hi! This is Senator Ted Stevens. Sorry to miss you today. I've called to invite you to a town hall meeting - BY TELEPHONE! I'm reaching out to you with this new technology....

Edward R. Murrow was born 100 years ago today, in a log cabin with no electricity or running water, in Polecat Creek, North Carolina. When he spoke to his peers in 1958, he was definitely not preaching to the choir. Fast forward another 50 years, and they still ring true.

The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on Tuesday to look at the future of the Internet, and a big part of that equation is net neutrality. Obviously -- and I know you don’t need to hear it from me -- we need to keep up the pressure on this issue. The uncertainty isn’t helpful, and we have to set the rules of the road and protect the innovative world of a free and open Internet.

So, the week Donna Edwards trounces Al Wynn, the House decides to flip off the administration on the "Protect America Act" FISA bill with telecom immunity. Donna campaigned a lot on this issue, and Wynn was in the pocket of the telecoms. Coincidence, or not?

[Left, that's crime boss Randall L. Stephenson, CEO of AT&T] Monday I shared a train ride with Jane. She was headed to New York to make an appearance on a panel at NYU, and I was headed to Philly on business. We talked and worked, though Jane was hampered by the failure of her Verizon mobile wireless service to connect her online.