By Matthew Kandrach
A “Kinsley Gaffe” happens in Washington when someone accidentally tells the truth. Democrats committed a big one recently when they admitted their supposed concern for “net neutrality” was actually camouflage for a much more aggressive goal: imposing unpopular and politically unacceptable price controls on the Internet.
This issue has been lurking in the dark corners of the net neutrality debate for years. Back in 2015 when the Obama Administration was developing its version of net neutrality, everyone understood that rate regulation was a deal-breaker. There was broad and bipartisan support for basic rules to keep the Internet open and free, but there was little political appetite for the government to directly set prices, an intrusion in free markets that even most Democrats did not support.
And FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler was determined to convince the public that his proposal would not regulate rates. In explaining how the FCC would “forebear” from using many of its powers under the absolutist “public utility” version of net neutrality he was seeking, he promised, “That means no rate regulation.” This promise was then documented in the FCC’s final order, which trumpets: “No rate regulation!”