paidContent - Franken Quizzes Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor On Net Neutrality
This story was written by Staci D. Kramer.
Figures that a guy who made a name for himself by wearing a satellite dish on his head would zero in on communications during his questioning of Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Newest U.S. Senator Al Franken (D-MN) spent some time on the passion he and the judge share for Perry Mason, but his first serious questions all centered on net neutrality, the Supreme Court’s “Brand X” ruling that the FCC was right not to classify the internet as a telecom service, and the role of the First Amendment.
Sotomayor agreed with him about the internet’s importance but avoided his query about a “compelling First Amendment right” to access: “Rights are not looked at as overriding. Rights are rights and what the courts look at is how Congress balances those rights in a particular situation.” Minnesota Public Radio has a brief transcript The video (8:20) is embedded below.
By Staci D. Kramer