Last Thursday I wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asking that she not endorse Congressman Bobby Rush (D-IL) in his effort to become Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet (CTI). The reason is simple — Congressman Rush has been a leading Black voice against net neutrality since 2006, maintaining that net neutrality is a "solution in search of a problem." The position he seeks to occupy — if his record is any clue — would mean an advantage for corporations and a disadvantage for everyone else when key decisions about the Internet are made.
The Congressman's response? Avoid everything I've said, ignore what more than 60,000 of our members have said, along with that of literally millions of other everyday people across this country. Congressman Rush relies on the fabricated notion that ColorOfChange is "Silicon Valley funded" and "controlled." I'd like to know what the Congressman means and where he got such a bizarre idea. I personally led a successful protest on behalf of more than 600,000 people in which we called out Google for proposing a framework in collusion with Verizon that would undermine net neutrality — it's not the kind of thing you do if you're funded or controlled by Silicon Valley. Further, we don't have a single major donor representing the interests of tech companies in Silicon Valley — not an individual, a company, or a trade association. Maybe it's the fact that our offices are in the Bay Area?
Last week, Al Wynn did a fundraiser at the office of a nuclear energy giant. He's doing another one, this time at a lobbying firm called Platinum Advisors. Instead of energy interests, this time it's telecom and cable interests. I've included the invitation and the email that came with it. James Clyburn, John Dingell, JK Butterfield, Bobby Rush, and Ed Towns are cohosting. Towns and Rush are two of the Verizon five.
Subject: Rep. Al Wynn Event Hosted by Whip Clyburn, Chairman Dingell and Rep.s Towns, Rush and Butterfield - Jan 15th
rep. al wynn, a key member of the energy and commerce committee, has a tough primary race on his hands and could lose.
he has been a dedicated public servant and understands the business community like few others.
if you care about, al, please help us help him.
the event is next tuesday from 4 - 6 pm at 514 seward square, se.
thanks and have a great weekend.
What's weird about this invitation is how proud AT&T and company are in doing the fundraiser and putting their names at the top. The PAC directors no longer realize that what they are doing is repulsive.
The aesthetics of corruption are tacky and insular, not evil. If you care about al is a personal touch. There is wide notice of this race among a certain slice of the telecom and energy lobbying world, and among certain incumbents.
As you know Congress held hearings on Hip Hop yesterday up on Capitol Hill. Chicago Congressman Bobby Rush wanted to see why there is so much music being pushed by corporations that highlight racial stereotypes and disrespect toward women. Overall the hearings were explosive from the start. One of the Congressmen from New York Anthony D Weiner, posed the question as to why artists today don't step it up and do like artists did in the past and pen songs that talk about social issues in the community. He cited Shinehead who at the height of the crack epidemic in the late 80s so fit to write a song that spoke out against crack. He wanted to know why we don't see more artists who have different types of conversations like the way Tribe Called Quest or Brand Nubian did in year's past.
Weiner also noted that Congress won't be able to solve this issue of questionable content, because it's a business decision. He talked about the move Chamillionaire made to not curse on his new album. He suggested that Chamillionaire was making a shrewd business decision to fill a void and capture an audience that doesn't want to hear cursing. He hoped that other artists would see the wisdom in this and follow his lead.
Congressman Bobby Rush held a hearing through the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection on the topic "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degrading Images". Rush has a history of strong corporate ties, including a $1M grant from AT&T to build the Bobby Rush Technology Center, and he came to my attention with his work to go after net neutrality (along with Al Wynn).
I'm learning a lot. Apparently, these Congressmen think all sin in the world comes from young rappers, corporate titans are doing everything they can to clean up culture, but that damned internet always foils them. Also, violent lyrics in Hip Hop have nothing to do with underfunded social infrastructure or media ownership structures, in case you're wondering.
Michael Eric Dyson is brilliant, and artist David Banner is one smart dude. I liked his last line in his testimony: "Hip hop is sick because America is sick."
STATE BLOGS
As you know Congress held hearings on Hip Hop yesterday up on Capitol Hill. Chicago Congressman Bobby Rush wanted to see why there is so much music being pushed by corporations that highlight racial stereotypes and disrespect toward women. Overall the hearings were explosive from the start. One of the Congressmen from New York Anthony D Weiner, posed the question as to why artists today don't step it up and do like artists did in the past and pen songs that talk about social issues in the community. He cited Shinehead who at the height of the crack epidemic in the late 80s so fit to write a song that spoke out against crack. He wanted to know why we don't see more artists who have different types of conversations like the way Tribe Called Quest or Brand Nubian did in year's past.