Today the issue of network neutrality will move a step closer towards the Senate floor. As noted by Waxing America on Monday, “Alaska Senator Ted Stevens is trying to float a deal that would avoid a party-line split over who controls speed and price of content on the Internet, with Republicans favoring the phone companies and the Democrats pushing the position of cable companies and software empires like Google and Microsoft.”

Chances are the bill will move to the Senate floor with weak protections that look like roses, but no doubt, like most genetically engineered flowers, fail the authenticity test when you take the time to smell them. If it does head for the floor a full Senate vote will most likely be coming in early July, giving proponents of network neutrality only a handful of days to pound on their Senator's doors and make sure they do the right thing. It will also give the Wisconsin State Journal the opportunity to inform their readers on the subject - something they have glaringly failed at to date.

While on the subject of Madison media, on Monday the Isthmus took a hard look at what a future minus Internet freedom could mean. While Dane101 has chosen to stay focused on the possible and plausible negative impact selling off the Internet to the likes of Verizon, SBC, and other telecoms will mean for Wisconsin small business, the Isthmus takes a hard look at the impact on the future of waging successful election campaigns utilizing the Internet. Specifically, Kristian Knutsen points his mouse cursor right at the ambiguous heart of Sen. Herb Kohl. Kohl has yet to make his position on network neutrality known - besides emails and phone calls from Dane101, Knutsen, and members of the Wisconsin Coalition for Network Neutrality.

As Knutsen points out, Kohl’s campaign has made ample use of the Internet, posting his campaign commercials on “highly trafficked websites.” Those campaign commercials were then picked up by a Kohl fan and plopped into You Tube - a website that makes video distribution easy and friendly for everyone.