Obama’s Presidential Moment

[Commentary] I keep saying that telecom policy is blood and guts stuff -- giant principles of equity, speech, and the importance of free markets run headlong into the extraordinary political powers wielded by Comcast, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and AT&T. All too often the drama is buried in an avalanche of acronyms and incremental influence.

Then came the message from President Obama. Here was our best Obama, telling the Federal Communications Commission in plain language that it should consider acting like a regulator. The message actually brought a tear to my eye. It’s the equivalent of the moving part of the war movie when the gruff but effective leader calls his troops to their better selves, reminding them why they’re there in the first place. So although the president sounded like the law-professor-in-chief yesterday (“I believe the FCC should reclassify consumer broadband service under Title II of the Telecommunications Act”), to me it was a General Patton moment. This is a battle cry designed to give heart to his administration -- and particularly the corner of the executive branch crouching in terror behind the walls of the FCC.

It’s a big deal. The President and his Administration came to Washington to do big things. Now this battle has been joined. It is a fight we need to win -- for our pocketbooks, for our connectivity, and for our freedom. Americans at their best are never cynical. And, finally, on this issue our leader is standing up for us.