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Talking Points Memo will be tracking individual Senators and their position on Net Neutrality. Their Tally page is at: TMP Talley

from: TMP Media

(June 12, 2006 -- 12:59 AM EDT)

When the TPM Media offices open up tomorrow morning we're going to start compiling a list (mentioned Friday evening) of where every senator stands on Net Neutrality -- Democrats and Republicans. With help from TPM Readers we already got information on several senators. And it was enough to show us that a lot of them -- including a lot of Democrats -- are just trying to avoid giving their constituents any straight answers on where they stand.

With the Dems, from what we've been able to tell so far, the Net Neutrals are Dorgan, Inouye, Boxer, Clinton, Obama, Wyden and Reid. The Finger in the Wind crowd includes Feinstein, Murray, Cantwell and many others.

We'll be firming up the lists and hopefully, with your help, getting some basic information on the great majority of others tomorrow.

Now, it's of course important to know not just the underlying policy issue but also how it is being framed in legislative terms. The fight is already over in the House. Now it goes to the senate. A new telecommunications bill is being moved through the Senate Commerce Committee by Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-AK).

The question is whether the new bill will include Net Neutrality language or not.

The pro-Net Neutrality legislation is co-sponsored by Sens. Snowe (R-ME) and Dorgan (D-ND) -- the Snowe-Dorgan bill (S-2917).

So if you're interested in trying to find out where your senator stands, the key question is whether they support and plan to vote for the Snowe-Dorgan bill. A supporter of Net Neutrality should say 'yes', an opponent 'no'.

Also, see what you can find out by googling or other Internet research. If you come up with information about where a given senator stands on the issue, from research or calls to senate offices, send us an email and let us know.

-- Josh Marshall