^{Democracy & Technology Blog} Obama wants to control the Web

Phil Kerpen observes

If you thought Washington–which already took over banking and autos, and is fast-tracking attempts to take over health care and energy–would leave the Internet alone, you were dead wrong. The Internet (perhaps our greatest free market success story in recent years) is squarely in the cross-hairs of the administration and it’s not waiting for Congress to act.
* * * * the agenda … is to transform access to the Internet into a government entitlement project, with all the necessary government intrusion and control in order guarantee it to everyone–in the world.
* * * * We’ll have nowhere to go if the government turns out to be not quite as benevolent as some have hoped.

One agenda that some people have is to disable the Internet as a tool for activists seeking to preserve liberty for the benefit of activists who are seeking to enforce conformity.
If the Internet is a free market of ideas like radio, some liberals fear the voices of liberty will prevail. They see the Internet as a unique opportunity to overthrow the influence of radio. A government-controlled Internet would provide an outlet for liberal commentators who otherwise couldn’t capture sufficient audience share to remain on the air.
The First Amendment protects the right of free speech, but it has never ensured a right to be heard. Some liberal activists are hoping to turn the Internet into just such a mouthpiece.