Why is Verizon suing over net neutrality rules it once supported?

In the wake of Verizon's decision to sue the Federal Communications Commission over its network neutrality rules, it's worth taking a look back at the rules Verizon actually supported last autumn. In an effort to head off the FCC effort, Verizon huddled quietly with Google and produced a "suggested legislative framework" for network neutrality. It looked quite remarkably similar to the rules eventually adopted at the FCC -- the rules that Verizon has chosen to sue over now as being "contrary to constitutional right" and "otherwise contrary to law."

The similarity here is astonishing, though the Verizon/Google proposal did make one other suggestion: it should be passed by Congress, not the FCC, and the FCC should not have "rulemaking authority" over nondiscrimination requirements and consumer protections. In other words, the FCC could have a bit of enforcement power, but it would be forbidden from writing key new regulations that might alter or expand its power over networks. And that was apparently enough to set Verizon off.