BARTON/RUSH: WHEN THE DEAL GOES DOWN, BROWN AND STRICKLAND VOTE "YES"

Well, the deal just went down. And this time the news is all bad.

The entire "COPE Act", essentially unchanged from what the subcommittee marked up two weeks ago, was just approved by the full Energy and Commerce Committee 42 to 12. Eleven Democrats and one Republican voted against it.

Rep. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Ted Strickland voted for the final bill.

Yes, the bill that effectively wipes out community oversight of the cable industry. The bill that will allow nationally franchised video/Internet providers to redline neighborhoods and create "tiers" of Internet service. The bill that undermines net neutrality and threatens to "end the Internet as we know it." That bill. They voted "yes".

Which means, I guess, that it didn't really matter that...

[posted earlier]
BROWN, STRICKLAND SUPPORT NET NEUTRALITY AMENDMENT

Just watched the webcast Energy and Commerce Committee vote on the "Markey amendment" to strengthen the net neutrality section of the Burton/Rush video-internet franchising bill.

Here's the bad news: The amendment was defeated 34 to 22 on an almost straight party-line vote. Here's the Broadcasting & Cable coverage.

Here's the good news: Both Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland voted for the net neutrality amendment.

More good news, also from B&C: Municipal Net Bans Won't Be Grandfathered. An amendment to leave anti-muni-broadband laws in place in the fourteen states that have passed them (Ohio isn't one) was essentially shouted down on a voice vote. (It doesn't look like Rep. Buyer's promised amendment to get the "Pennsylvania law" put into the bill ever materialized.)

Markup is still in progress with a vote on the whole package coming soon. More later.

Update: Save The Internet's map has already changed. Lots more green dots now. But not enough.