Given they've got the lobbying support of K Street juggernauts Verizon and AT&T, Connected Nation has had an easy time getting the inside track on broadband mapping funds in states like Minnesota and Florida, despite often submitting more expensive bids. But in their home state of Kentucky, where the group (to the local public's surprise) once proclaimed they were responsible for giving the state 94% broadband coverage, Connected Nation has ditched their bid to map the state. Why? Art Brodsky over at Public Knowledge has an idea:Connected Nation has been under fire for being little more than a baby bell policy vehicle that takes taxpayer cash to shine up broadband deployment statistics for AT&T and Verizon. It's interesting to note that even cable operators of late have been critical of Connected Nation in Kentucky. While Kentucky wants verifiable data and carrier inclusiveness, they're apparently in the minority among the states being wooed by Connected Nation.