The reason?

“Congressman Rush has repeatedly supported the interests of the telecommunications industry over the interests of regular people, and has been a fierce opponent of network neutrality,” James Rucker, executive director of Color of Change, which has 800,000 online members, wrote in a letter to Pelosi Thursday.

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers shouldn’t pick favorites on the web or discriminate against rival content. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is under intense pressure from his left flank to establish rules protecting net neutrality — and he has said those rules are forthcoming. Meanwhile, incoming Republicans are threatening to put the FCC on ice and warning him not to act on the issue, following the telecom party line that regulation is overkill since competition will preserve a fair internet.

Net neutrality backers argue that without regulation, the nation’s telecoms will unfairly discriminate against content, warping an open platform that has allowed services such as Google, Netflix and Pandora to thrive.

Rucker made it clear where he thinks Rush’s allegiances lie.

“I have grave doubts that Congressman Rush is capable of being an honest broker on important telecommunications matters,” Rucker, who was headed grassroots mobilization for MoveOn.org Political Action from 2003-2005, wrote. “AT&T, America’s oldest and largest telecommunications company, has long been one of the largest donors to Congressman Rush’s campaign committee and leadership PAC.

“In addition, from 2001 to 2004 the company donated $1 million to a community center Rush founded in Chicago – an off-the-books donation that could lead one to wonder about the prospect of quid pro quo regarding the Congressman and AT&T,” Rucker added.

Since 1989, Rush has received $78,964 from AT&T. The telecom giant is Rush’s second largest career contributor, which is also true for the leading Republican candidate to run the committee, Fred Upton (Michigan). Rush’s other top supporters donors since 1989 include the National Cable and Telecommunications Association ($43,499), and Verizon ($42,000), according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Color of Change was founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and was an important part of the grassroots coalition that helped elect President Barack Obama in 2008. The group has also been active in recent media battles, opposing conservative personalities such as Glenn Beck and Andrew Breitbart.

The fact that a group dedicated to empowering African-Americans, which devoted so much time to getting Obama elected, has come out strongly against one of the House’s senior African-American members demonstrates how important the issue of net neutrality remains among Obama’s base. In August, Rucker led a protest outside Google headquarters expressing displeasure with the search giant’s net neutrality compromise with Verizon.

A spokesperson for Rush did not immediately return a request for comment on Rucker’s letter to Pelosi.

Update 7:30 p.m. EST: Rep. Rush’s office just issued the following statement:

“I am extremely proud of my decades of service to the people of my district, city, state and nation.  It’s a record that is open and above board for all the world to see.  It’s a record of service to African Americans, the poor, communities of color and minority- and women-owned businesses that is too voluminous to list in the space of this brief statement.  As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee since 1995, I have worked tirelessly and effectively on a vast number of issues.

“My position on those issues as well as my sources of contributions are a matter of public record.  I will not allow the Silicon Valley funded Color of Change.Org group, which purports to “strengthen Black America’s political voice” through the Internet, to call into question my integrity and honesty to lead the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet as its Ranking Member.

“The notion that this Silicon Valley controlled group should have the only word on what is in the best interests of people of color is foolish.  When an organization rents a Silicon Valley glass house, they ought to be careful about throwing stones.”

Pelosi Rush

Authors: Sam Gustin

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