Net Neutrality For Campaign Donors

Just how far is the Obama administration willing to go to reward big donors? In the wake of yesterday’s explosive report regarding “scores of top Democratic donors” being rewarded with “VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings,” it’s a question that’s on the minds of many politically-engaged Americans, and one likely to grab yet more attention, thanks to this article in today’s USA Today. It notes that:

“More than 40% of President Obama’s top-level fundraisers have secured posts in his administration, from key executive branch jobs to diplomatic postings in countries such as France, Spain and the Bahamas, a USA TODAY analysis finds.”

USA Today goes on to report that one top-level fundraiser apparently awarded with a plum job is Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski.

The paper reports that Genachowski raised more than $500,000 for Obama–which critics charge may have helped him “buy” a position that now puts him at the center of one of Washington’s most heated policy debates, namely that regarding net neutrality.

Genachowski, a strong proponent of the policy and a darling of far left groups like Save The Internet, has recently garnered criticism for what some see as an effort to ram net neutrality through with little to no debate. The proposed policy has recently become the focus of criticism and concern from everyone from internet service providers to groups typically regarded as Obama administration-friendly, such as the Asian American Justice Center, National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Urban League. 72 House Democrats and three Democratic Governors have also raised concerns about the proposed policy.

Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation to block the FCC, led by Genachowski, from enacting net neutrality rules. In a statement, McCain suggested that net neutrality amounted to a “government takeover of the Internet.” He added that enacting the regulation favored by Genachowski, which he dubbed “oppressive,” would “stifle innovation, in turn slowing our economic turnaround and further depressing an already anemic job market.” On Tuesday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced similar legislation to block net neutrality in the House. Genachowski critics argue that her move evidences further existing forceful, bipartisan opposition to Genachowski’s preferred policy, and will enhance scrutiny of the FCC Chairman’s agenda–as may the USA Today revelations.

Obama, as a candidate, said he would “take a back seat to no one” in his commitment to “network neutrality,” and net neutrality supporters contend that it remains a top policy priority of the administration. The question is whether political support from net neutrality proponents like Genachowski and Google (whose CEO, Eric Schmidt, was a major Obama supporter and whose employees reportedly donated $562,000 to his campaign) has dictated or contributed to that position.