House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is drawing the ire of telecommunications giants after she came out against them in a fight between corporate titans of long-standing importance to Democrats — and encouraged her party colleagues to fall in line behind her.
The battle — over the relatively obscure issue of "net neutrality," which concerns whether and how the federal government should regulate the Internet — pits cable and phone industry giants against tech heavies such as Google, which is based in Pelosi's home turf of the Bay Area, as well as an array of consumer groups.
That the debate has turned partisan is angering cable and phone-friendly Democrats, who accuse Pelosi of trying to impose her personal views on the party.
"She's taking this bill personally. It's a constituent issue for her, and she's generalized it into a Caucus issue," said a senior aide to a Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Good for Pelosi
She's right and they're wrong. (Roll Call. Sub. req.)