some of you may have already seen this and I hope no one considers this spam as I am not trying to propogate spam. I hope you'll all consider sending a message to stop "Ma Bell reborn" and to help preserve net neutrality. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ben Scott, <a href="http://Freepress.net">Freepress.net</a> <<a href="mailto:list@freepress.net">list@freepress.net </a>> Date: Oct 11, 2006 3:05 PM Subject: Don't Let Ma Bell Monopolize the Internet To: Caleb Cushing <<a href="mailto:xenoterracide@gmail.com">xenoterracide@gmail.com</a>> <div marginwidth="10" marginheight="10"> <table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="600"> <tbody><tr><td> <a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><img alt="free press action alert" border="0" height="65" width="600"></a> </td></tr> <tr><td style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 102); border-right: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 102); border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(51, 51, 102); background: rgb(255, 255, 255) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; width: 600px; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; margin-top: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" width="598"> <tbody><tr> <td> Dear Caleb,<table style="border: 1px solid rgb(255, 153, 0); margin: 0pt 0pt 5px 5px;" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="225"><tbody><tr><td style="background: rgb(238, 238, 238) none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial;" align="center"> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh8tJvbM1Ag" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><img alt="Richard P. Merryweather" border="0" height="194" width="160"></a><p style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Watch Our Exclusive Interview with the Merger's 'Mastermind': Richard P. Merryweather<p style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> Part I: '<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1per3Xn1LqVL/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Merger and Me</a>' Part II: '<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/17er3Xn1LqVS/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Money Well Spent</a>'<p style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Take Action Now</a></td></tr></tbody></table> The Justice Department today rubber stamped the $78 billion merger of AT&T and BellSouth -- deserting its post as the public's shield against corporate monopolies. The merger now goes to the Federal Communications Commission for final approval. The deal would effectively resurrect the Ma Bell monopoly that ruled our nation's communications industry for nearly a century. The only ones standing in the path of a new AT&T monopoly are citizens like you. Tell the FCC: <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Don't Let Ma Bell Monopolize the Internet</a> The merger of AT&T and BellSouth would create a network behemoth that controls nearly half of all telephone land lines in the United States. But the new AT&T presents a far greater threat. Under the rule of CEO Ed Whitacre, the company is leading the effort to gut Net Neutrality -- the longstanding principle that prevents phone companies from controlling what you do, where you go and what you see on the Internet. Soon all digital media -- telephone, TV, radio and the Web -- will enter homes via a single broadband connection. Whitacre is trying to control this "pipe" -- and the billions of dollars at stake -- by erecting new Internet toll booths and discriminating against Web sites that can't afford their new fees. If the FCC doesn't place any conditions on the mega-merger, nothing would prevent the new AT&T from taking away the free and open Internet that has fostered unprecedented economic innovation and democratic participation. The good news is that we have some allies at the FCC. Two of the four commissioners who will vote on the merger have indicated that they will support Net Neutrality conditions as part of any merger. But they need strong public support to prevail. <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/Cper3Xn1LqVq/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Tell the FCC: No AT&T Merger without Net Neutrality</a> Before the FCC rules, it needs to hear from you. Please forward this e-mail to everyone you know. Onward, Ben Scott Policy Director Free Press <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/11er3Xn1LqVa/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.freepress.net</a> P.S. For more information on the AT&T-BellSouth merger, please visit: <a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1der3Xn1LqVz/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">www.freepress.net/att</a> P.P.S. For another take on the deal, watch our exclusive YouTube interview with Richard P. Merryweather, president and CEO of CT&T Com: Part I: "<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/1per3Xn1LqVL/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">The Merger and Me</a>" Part II: "<a href="http://action.freepress.net/ct/17er3Xn1LqVS/" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">Money Well Spent</a>" <hr color="#aaaaaa" noshade="noshade" size="1"> Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this. <a href="http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join-forward.html?domain=freepress&r=kder3Xn1HjNy&" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"><img border="0"> Tell-a-friend!</a> If you received this message from a friend, you can <a href="http://action.freepress.net/freepress/join.html?r=kder3Xn1HjNyE&" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">sign up for Free Press </a>. 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