Color of Change, a web-based African-American advocacy group, isn't backing down from Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois, pictured at left), who attacked the group for asking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to block him from taking a key spot on a technology committee because of his close ties to AT&T and other telecoms.

Late last week, Color of Change Executive Director James Rucker sent Pelosi a letter in which he said expressed "grave doubts that Congressman Rush is capable of being an honest broker on important telecommunications matters."

During his congressional career, Rush has received $78,964 from AT&T – his second largest career contributor. He's also gotten $43,499 from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and $42,000 from Verizon, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

"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," Rucker wrote. Color of Change has 800,000 online members. Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers shouldn't pick favorites on the web or discriminate against rival content.

The spat between Rush, one of the most senior African-American members of Congress and a former Black Panther, and Color of Change, an upstart internet organizing group, highlights a growing generational fissure in the civil rights community over broadband policy, and in particular, network neutrality. Color of Change, which was founded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina and was a part of the coalition that helped elect President Barack Obama in 2008, has been a vocal proponent of net neutrality.

In response, Rush issued a statement in which he said: "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," Rush added. "When an organization rents a Silicon Valley glass house, they ought to be careful about throwing stones."

Now, Color of Change has responded, issuing a statement in which Rucker said: "Congressman Rush's baseless attack on ColorOfChange is a weak attempt to distract the public from the fact that he has reliably and consistently championed telecom-industry profits over the interests of everyday Americans." Rucker added. "In the realm of telecommunications, Congressman Rush can't be counted on to fight hard for regular folks when the chips are down."

Rucker took particular issue with Rush's characterization that Color of Change is "Silicon Valley-controlled." Rucker called that "a laughable claim" given the group's August protest outside Google headquarters against the search giant's net neutrality compromise with Verizon.

Rush has generally been seen as the leading contender to become the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. It's up to the members of the committee to make the final determination, but Pelosi's endorsement is clearly important. A representative for Pelosi did not immediately return a request for comment.