Senator Ted Stevens may not have a grasp on how, exactly, the Internet works, but the veteran politician could teach Congressional rookies a thing or too about getting your way in Washington. Net Neutrality supporters are hitting the phones trying to prevent Stevens from orchestrating a backdoor vote.
According to numerous sources, Stevens (R-AK), whose anti-Net Neutrality telecommunications bill is facing a filibuster from opponents, is planning a small coup in Congress once all his opposition has gone home.
Just as Congress is about to take a recess, Stevens has tapped the strength of three sweet-spot senators (among 60 others) to lag behind and vote for cloture on the debate so the bill can move forward.
With enough votes to officially vote down the filibuster, Stevens’s bill would meet the Senate floor for a vote during the lame duck session just after the November elections. That means even if his cronies are voted out of office, they can still do some damage.
According to Matt Stoller of MyDD.com, the three senators on Stevens’ cloture hit list are Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Joe Lieberman (D-CT). Net Neutrality proponents have called an emergency powwow, urging citizens to contact these senators as well as others to ensure their presence at the vote.
SavetheInternet.com provides a full list of US Senators, their contact information and their stance on Net Neutrality.
“Ted Stevens wants his bill, said Stoller, “and he’s pushing like crazy to get it. It’s going to be very hard for him to lobby Senators during the August recess, so he’s looking to sign up 60 Senators who will commit to cloture during the lame duck session before the recess starts. In case you’re wondering, that’s unusual and somewhat sleazy.”
Add to 
Bookmark Murdok: 
