Ted Strickland and Sherrod Brown aren’t winning any friends online with their vote in favor of the “COPE Act” in the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill eliminates community oversight of the cable industry and allows nationally franchised video/Internet providers to redline neighborhoods and create “tiers” of Internet service, thus eliminating the core internet principal of network neutrality. MTB blogger Scott Bakalar has withdrawn his support for Strickland over this action.

As an old cynic neither of these votes surprises me. Strickland is a big business Democrat. He’s voted in the past to give the shiv to the everyday worker in order to get those all important corporate bucks. What’s really sa d is that he’s been running on a platform that emphasizes information access for rural areas. Could all that be just another political con?

As for Sherrod Brown, he’s is in the fight of his life against Mike DeWine and has shown every inclination that he’s willing to sacrifice those trivial progressive values for the right price. Since his efforts to win over the hearts and minds of the blogosphere have been such a disaster I can see him siding with the telecom corporate welfare queens. As all politicians, when push comes to shove Sherrod Brown and Ted Strickland are on our side as long as we’ve got that all consuming cash.

Guys, it’s not enough to just to talk big ideas and Party values when your actions point to the same ol same ol. There’s too much light shining under the rocks for that to play any more. Actions are what people are looking for… results… and frankly I’m just not seeing it.

Politics is a big money game that eats at your soul. The players may change, but the game never does. Prove me wrong… just once I would love a politician to prove me wrong.

UPDATE: Strickland has sent out a justification for the vote.