I know, I know, it's all about the money. But this doesn't make me happy:

SAN FRANCISCO - Internet search leader Google is snapping up YouTube for $1.65 billion, brushing aside copyright concerns to seize a starring role in the online video revolution.

The all-stock deal announced Monday unites one of the Internet’s marquee companies with one of its rapidly rising stars. It came just a few hours after YouTube unveiled three separate agreements with media companies to counter the threat of copyright-infringement lawsuits.

The price makes YouTube Inc., a still-unprofitable startup, by far the most expensive purchase made by Google during its eight-year history. Last year, Google spent $130.5 million buying a total of 15 small companies.

Why? Because of this:

Google is “eager” to work with the Republican Party and has boosted its presence in Washington, D.C., according to Roll Call.
“Google, one of the fastest-growing companies in Silicon Valley, is ramping up its political clout in Washington, D.C., while taking a series of steps to court Republicans,” report Tory Newmyer and Paul Kane for Roll Call. “The company is filing paperwork today to open its first-ever political action committee, and later this month, it will make an endangered GOP incumbent the beneficiary of its first-ever Washington fundraiser.”

“The search-engine giant this month also deepened its ties to Republicans by inking a deal with former GOP Sens. Dan Coats (Ind.) and Connie Mack (Fla.) to lobby on its behalf,” the article continues.

I wear the foil proudly, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to hear that tomorrow's Macaca Moment "just won't seem to load" after being put up on the New and Improved YouTube.

Oh well. It's nice to know that Google is on the right side of Net Neutrality. Now we know why.

I guess this means Atrios will have to get back to keepin' it real.