The usual suspects (i.e. telco & cable) are up in arms at the prospect of having to abide by an FCC ruling already in force since 2005 that prevents them from placing controls on web traffic or content -- as a condition to receiving their share ($6 billion) of a government stimulus package.
Note the weasel words of USTelecom communications VP Tom Amontree:
"We urge Congress to refrain from adding conditions, qualifications or terms to its authorization of broadband funding that might inadvertently inhibit the flexibility of the president-elect and his new administration from being able to move forward quickly on their goal of providing immediate funding to shovel-ready projects."
You can just imagine -- if push came to shove -- who would be "inadvertently inhibiting" the incoming Obama Administration from "moving forward" with this funding.
In any case, we might look at the banking industry for a sign of hope. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich speculates on what finally moved CitiBank to soften its position on mortgage "cramdowns" (i.e. negotiating more favorable payment terms as part of a bankruptcy proceeding rather than simply foreclosing on the property and kicking everyone out):
... [T]he Wall Street bailout has had exactly the same effect for Congress that the proposed bankruptcy provision would have for homeowners -- it has increased its bargaining power over those who ordinarily pull the strings. The massive tax-payer financed bailout of Wall Street, largely a product of Wall Street's power in Washington, seems to be weakening the Street's ability to veto financial legislation it doesn't like....
