I'm not saying we should ignore NCTA's public statements, but I'm sure you know that parties who are sophisticated public communicators will object to the thing

I'm not saying we should ignore NCTA's public statements, but I'm sure you know that parties who are sophisticated public communicators will object to the thing they are most likely to win on, and which will gain them the most support, rather than the thing they care about most. It happens all the time in public discourse, in politics and in business. Thinking about it, that of course is fundamental to sophisticated negotiations - not revealing your true objectives. And thinking more, people use that same tactic instinctively all the time in social situations.