Thanks?

Sure. Thanks.

Matt Stoller makes encouraging note of the latest in a string of impressively progressive accomplishments and postions of the junior Senator from the Upper Left...

Maria Cantwell was very much with us on the vote and the underlying bill. Now she's making net neutrality a campaign issue against her opponent, Mike McGavick.

But Matt? Can we just stop this?

Cantwell is not liked among progressives for a variety of reasons…

In fact, while I count myself among those of a 'progressive' (Ill settle for liberal, myself) bent who disagree with Maria on one or more counts, I actually like her quite a bit, and support her re-election enthusiastically. That's a far more typical position, I suspect, than that of the purist minority who are supporting some McGavick surrogate (yep, that nasty binary nature of American politics again. Even those who pledge fealty in November are more than willing to damage Maria now.) Stop piling on. The really important part of that sentence could have just as well stood on its own, even without my emphasis…

…she was absolutely with us on this vote. Not only did she vote for net neutrality, she voted against the underlying bill. In other words, having Democrats in the Senate really matters.

But really, thanks. And thanks for this, too...

Kerry in particular has taken this on and become a bulldog, which was quite unexpected.

Of course, it's just what I'd expect.