Confused about Net Neutrality

Can anyone explain to me what Net Neutrality is? Why are the Dems for it and the Republicans against it? Note that on Nov. 2, all 95 Democrats who signed a pledge supporting net neutrality lost their respective elections throughout the country. Why, if Net Neutrality is such a good thing, does the vote need to be sneaked-in virtually on Christmas Eve (Dec. 21, 2010, does that remind you of another vote last year?).  Didn't the U.S. Court of Appeals in D.C. rule against Net Neutrality last April?


Will Net Neutrality "limit the amount of conservatism that people will be able to find on the internet?"

The Wikipedia description of the law sounds innocuous. Or is it another government step in taking control of the freedoms we hold dear?