Progressives to Obama: Don't 'back away' from net neutrality

A group of progressive bloggers and activists wrote a letter to President Obama on Thursday raising concerns that net neutrality meetings between telecommunications and Internet companies could spur him to abandon the open Internet policies he has endorsed since the campaign.

"We’re concerned that the White House and FCC are backing away from this commitment," the group said. "There is much talk of 'compromise' on this crucial issue, and reports of backroom meetings between [Federal Communications Commission (FCC)] officials and lobbyists to cut a deal that would jeopardize the open Internet. Giving up on your pledge to protect net neutrality would be a serious and possibly irreversible mistake."

Signers include Jason Ruben, executive direct of MoveOn.org political action, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Lawrence Lessig of ChangeCongress, Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Coalition, Art Brodsky of Public Knowledge, among many others.

The letter argues that a failure to enact net neutrality rules would threaten civic participation on the Internet as well as the goals in the National Broadband Plan.

"Please re-affirm your commitment to Net Neutrality and support quick and clear action by the FCC to regain its authority to protect the open Internet once and for all," it says.

Carbon copies went to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)

The letter comes as at least four separate, simultaneous processes seek to find a solution on net neutrality, including private talks on the Hill, private stakeholder meetings at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), a rulemaking procedure at the FCC, and weekly sessions on Capitol Hill among more than 30 stakeholders led by the commerce committees.