Back in 2002, the equation already had been worked out:

Hollywood money + Congressional cluelessness = flawed legislation

...One of the major players then was Howard Coble, the popular Representative from North Carolina's 6th district, in which, depending on the gerrymandering du jour, I sometimes live. One of the co-sponsors of the present Senate bill is Kay Hagan, who also comes from Greensboro. Something in the water, maybe.

A stroll down memory lane, and some thoughts on how things have changed, over at the DJB.

Comments

[Bill Yaner]

For a brief time there appeared to be that rarest of species on Capital Hill, i.e. an issue gaining bipartisan support and steaming its way towards actual legislation being enacted (remember those days?). But that was only because the content providers could liberally grease the palms of both parties to help them see clearly - as in 2002, what fun.

Then the content carriers woke up and started throwing their new found weight around and writing some big damn checks themselves, and alas, hold on, here we slip back into that most familiar of situations in Washington - confusion and stalemate.

The passions of freedom of speech aside, these two big industries will fight it out on the basis of money. Or as John Colbert put it, corporations have a lot of speech because they have a lot of money.

[Bill Yaner]

Make that Steven Colbert, and what he said is, "Money equals speech, and a lot of money equals a lot of speech."