US-Rep. Declares iPhone Expensive Paperweight, Discovers Termination Fees

In a breaking development for the cellphone industry, US Rep. Edward J. Markey announced yesterday that the iPhone will become an “expensive paperweight” even if you pay the $175 early termination fee to AT&T. Markey, whose top contributor for the 2004 election in the cellphone carrier business was Sprint (AT&T is also listed), has his knickers in a twist for something that every carrier has been doing for years with all locked phones, exclusive or not.

Further showing his outstanding cellphone know-how, he said the iPhone was like a “Hotel California service. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave—you’re stuck with your iPhone and you can’t take it anywhere.” According to completely unreliable and probably drunk sources, Rep. Markey, is getting ready to announce to the world that water freezes at zero degrees celsius soon. [Boston Herald]