CHARLIE BASS, CORRUPT REPUBLICAN RUBBER-STAMP, VOTED TO SCREW UP THE INTERNET. TIME TO REALLY GET BEHIND PAUL HODES IN NH-02

Matt over at MyDD has an important diary called "Ten Days Ago, These Six Democrats Took a Sledgehammer to the Internet". I recommend everyone read it but I want to summarize it in one sentence: 6 Democrats joined 17 Republicans to vote down net neutrality protection and pave the way for the big telecommunications corporations to completely fuck with the way the internet is delivered. Matt is suggesting we hold the 6 Democrats' feet to the fire by supporting primary challenges against them (presumably in 2008). OK, I'm in-- especially for the ones who have consistently supported corporate interests over consumer interests like Ed Towns (NY-10), Al Wynn (MD-04) Bart Stupak (MI-01), and Charlie Gonzales (TX-20). Of course 2008 is a long time from now and many issues and distractions are sure to come up between now and then.

Is there anything we can do now? Most of the Republicans are in relatively safe districts or have weak, ineffective opposition. A couple of races jump out as possibilities for concerted netroots action, particularly what is shaping up to be a close contest in NH-02, where Paul Hodes is offering up a strong challenge to Republican rubber-stamper Charles Bass. Hodes seems progressive and independent and probably not a DCCC stooge, a big plus (at least for me). And Bass is most definitely tainted by his relationships with some of the worst instigators of the Republican Culture of Corruption, having taken many thousands of dollars from unsavory characters like Tom DeLay, Randy "Duke" Cunningham, Bob Ney, Roy Blunt, and John Boehner.

New Hampshire's second congressional district is a moderate district with a modest Democratic PVI (which combines the last two presidential election results and compares them to the national average) of +2.7. In other words, it's a district that voted against Bush but elected a Republican. Bass has been a rubber-stamp shill for all of the Bush Regime's catastrophic agenda for our nation. It isn't the agenda of western and northern New Hampshire. Bass is a miserable congressman, undeserving of another term. His predictable vote against net neutrality should give impetus for the netroots community to get behind Hodes in a real way.


MONDAY EVENING UPDATE: HODES KICKIN' BUTT ALREADY

David over at Swing State Project has some great fnancial news on Hodes' campaign today.