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Kohl May Be Key to Net Neutrality

Herb Kohl does not face a lot of political pressure this year.

[ . . . ]

So the question is not whether Kohl will be scared into doing the right thing on any particular issue.

The question is whether he will be persuaded.

Anyone who has ever talked with him knows that Kohl takes issues seriously. But he is a confirmed moderate whose career has been defined by caution — and, of course, by the fact that he is a very wealthy man who can and does fully finance his own campaigns.

What persuades him? More often than not, a desire to do what’s best for Wisconsin.

[ . . . ]

Internet users in Wisconsin and across the country are concerned that the telecommunications bill pending in the Senate represents a massive giveaway to cable and telephone conglomerates that want to establish monopoly — or cartel — control of Internet service in communities such as Madison, Milwaukee, Mellen and Manitowoc. If the corporate giants get their way, the most fundamental consumer protection — the network neutrality requirement that currently ensures equal access to all sites on the Internet — will be lost. And with it will go the vision of the Internet as a tool for democratizing communications and opening up the public discourse.

Kohl, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee for Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, can play a critical role in the debate. Indeed, his reputation as a moderate who works with Republicans could make him one of — if not the — most essential Democrats in the looming fight. As of now, Kohl has not taken a stand on the telecommunications legislation in general or on the particular question of Internet neutrality. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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