Eerily similar to — if not so sleazy – as their tactics used late in the Supreme Court confirmation hearings of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Senate Democrats have struck again. Many months after adoption of the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order, Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Richard (ersatz Vietnam Veteran) Blumenthal (D-CT) have launched yet another effort to torpedo this lighter touch approach to regulating the internet.
A letter from the three Democrats to the FCC Inspector General strongly urged an investigation into the Commission’s handling of potential fraud in the net neutrality rule-making process.
The crux of their argument is explained in their letter: “Despite concerns that the (process) was subverted by fraudulent comments and manipulated by special interests, including possible RUSSIAN INTERFERENCE (emphasis added), the FCC has seemingly ignored the issue, failed to provide answers to Congress, and dismissed public concerns.” Wow, Russian collusion rears its ugly (but non-existent) head again?
The letter ends with a request for the Inspector General to find answers to nine questions, including what the FCC knew of these fraudulent comments and when they knew it, as well as whether the Commission is fully cooperating with other investigations being conducted by the Democrat New York State Attorney General and the Government Accountability Office.
All of this gibberish, despite repeated common sense explanations from Chairman Ajit Pai and others that the FCC: 1) recognized and ignored obviously bogus comments, 2) did not in any way reach its decision based on a simple count of the millions of pro and con comments, and 3) gave credence only to the comments of valid entities — reputable industry groups and other serious commenters — in formulating its decision.
More to the point, do Democrats, the party of big government control, really think that fraudulent, foreign or fake comments were the reason that a Republican FCC opted for lighter, lesser and looser regulation?
To us, another Democrat attack at this late date smacks simply of political sour grapes.
