FCC Commissioner McDowell Says He Will Abstain in AT&T/BellSouth Merger Posted by Bob at 12/18/06 04:01 PM

Federal Communications Commissioner Robert McDowell has announced he will abstain from voting on the controversial AT&T/BellSouth merger proposal.

We applaud McDowell for honoring his obligation to the public he is charged with serving. He is to be commended for doing the right thing in the face of what must have been wilting pressure from the phone companies involved and their friends in Washington, as well as some of his fellow commissioners.

His announcement, which you can read here, was eloquent.

We think what McDowell said about the FCC general counsel's poorly justified decision to allow him to participate in the merger vote was particularly potent.

"I had expected a memorandum making a strong and clear case for my participation. Instead, the (FCC General Counsel's) Authorization Memo is hesitant, does not acknowledge crucial facts and analyses, and concludes by framing this matter as an ethical coin-toss frozen in mid-air. The document does not provide me with confidence or comfort."

Then he delivers the best line of the day.

"Nontheless, while I expected the legal equivalent of body armor, I was handed Swiss cheese."

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

comments (0)