Kudos to Hillary Clinton...?

When the New York Senator comes up, I've been pretty dismissive. Like most other progressive bloggers, I'm just plain apathetic about her. Why? Because in spite of the endless speculation about a presidential run, she hasn't shown herself to be any sort of a national leader. I'm not sure what her key issues are, but there are several examples of her using the sort of triangulation and non-committal stances that cost Gore and Kerry so dearly during their respective campaigns (most notably on Iraq). Both of them seem to have taken the lesson to heart and have really found their voices in the meantime, but Clinton seems stuck in the mindset of remaining a cipher until absolutely forced to take a position.

But on Net Neutrality, she's doing the right thing. Raw Story has her statement on the issue, which should appeal to the vast majority of Americans. And hopefully serve as another step toward preventing the telecoms from charging citizens for access to information. Passage of legislation that will allow corporate control of the Internet hinges on the ability of Republicans to sneak legislation past an uninformed public.

“I support net neutrality. The open architecture of the Internet has been the critical element that has made it the most revolutionary communications medium since the advent of the television.

Each day on the Internet views are discussed and debated in an open forum without fear of censorship or reprisal. The Internet as we know it does not discriminate among its users. It does not decide who can enter its marketplace and it does not pick which views can be heard and which ones silenced. It is the embodiment of the fundamental democratic principles upon which our nation has thrived for hundreds of years.

I have always, and will continue to strongly and unequivocally support these principles. As I have worked throughout my Senate career to make broadband access readily available throughout New York State and our nation, I believe that maintaining an open Internet coupled with more broadband access is necessary if we are to meet the promise and the potential of the Internet to disseminate ideas and information, enhance learning, education and business opportunities for all Americans and improve and uplift our citizenry.

We must embrace an open and non-discriminatory framework for the Internet of the 21st century. Therefore, it is my intention to be an original cosponsor of the Dorgan and Snowe net neutrality legislation to ensure that open, unimpaired and unencumbered Internet access for both its users and content providers is preserved as Congress debates the overhaul of our nation’s telecommunications laws. Any effort to fundamentally alter the inherently democratic structure of the Internet must be rejected."

UPDATE: John Conyers and Jim "Tex" Sensenbrenner have co-sponsored Net Neutrality legislation in the House. Hopefully this means we won't have to fight tooth and nail to prevent another federal handout to big business. And hopefully it doesn't mean that Clinton is just coming forward now that the issue has some bipartisan support.