Jeb Bush believes net neutrality rules are the 'craziest ideas'

Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush isn't about to break with the party line on net neutrality. The former Florida Governor told those at an Iowa question-and-answer session this weekend that the FCC's decision to classify broadband as a utility was "one of the craziest ideas I've ever heard." It doesn't make sense to use a 1934-era law to govern the "most dynamic part of life" in the US, he claimed. He also contended that President Obama had unduly pressured the FCC, and that there was "no support" from the companies that once wanted the agency to take a tougher stance (which isn't true: Netflix, for example, is still a fan).

Bush is hopeful that Congress will force the FCC to reverse course in the short term. However, his opinion could matter more in the long run. If he does become President, he can appoint an FCC head that's more likely to back his views and overturn those net neutrality rules before they've had much of an effect on the industry. Telecom companies would be thrilled, but it wouldn't be good news for the millions of people who believe that regulation is necessary to keep the internet fair and open.

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