"Would you believe . . . ?"

In this week's Back Page, our Congressional advisor Tom Smith evokes the memory of the 1960 TV series "Get Smart" and secret agent Maxwell Smart.

Difficult as it is to believe, administration political strategists apparently really do believe that the rhetoric surrounding the Broadband Plan and the Broadband stimulus program will buy them crucial votes in November. They are oblivious to reality and the growing criticism of both the fundamental flaws in the Broadband Plan and the stimulus program that has funded duplicative facilities instead of needed focus on broadband adoption and permanent job creation.

Yet, these strategists advised the President to show his "ownership" of the Broadband policies by taking the lead in making the announcement himself of the latest second round broadband stimulus funding. At the same time, Congressional members of the President's own party called for reductions in the broadband stimulus program funding.

Tom Smith's Back Page explains how this political environment can provide the rural telecommunications industry an opportunity to utilize a strategic grassroots effort to shape positive solutions and influence the outcome by rebuilding an effective Congressional rural farm team - an opportunity we can seize if we "Get Smart."
Click here to view this edition of the Back Page.