Greetings. I've noted a conscious tactic being used by some telco/cable company supporters in the ongoing network neutrality controversy that is extremely disturbing. Republican Senator John Sununu is claiming that the forces promoting network neutrality are engaging mainly in a partisan debate, "What the liberal left have hung their hat on," he says. In a meeting with regulators earlier this month, AT&T CEO Ed Whitacre said of network neutrality that, "It's a made-up issue."

Neither of these remarks advance the debate in a meaningful way. Sununu is engaging in the time-honored technique of tarring his opponents with a broad political brush, to try avoid public consideration of the real issues. Whitacre is using a similar tactic, by claiming that the concerns of network neutrality advocates aren't even real and thus belittling their efforts.

My strong position in favor of network neutrality is well known. But I hope that most persons on the other side of this debate will agree that statements such as those by Sununu and Whitacre are demeaning of the process and decidedly unhelpful in moving us toward positive outcomes regarding these very real and very important technical and policy issues.

--Lauren--