Dem denies push for AT&T-BellSouth hold-up

[NVMojo]

Politico denies push for AT&T-BellSouth hold-up
November 9, 2006 1:26 PM PST
del.icio.us Digg this

The incoming Democratic chairman of a key congressional committee that oversees telecommunications policy says he didn't mean to suggest that federal regulators delay their decision on the pending merger between AT&T and BellSouth until the new Congress files in.

Michigan Rep. John Dingell, who is in line to lead the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, attempted to clarify his position in an interview with cable network CNBC. The deal's approval should not necessarily be delayed, he said, rather, it should be "looked at and looked into carefully," according to an Associated Press report published Thursday.

That stance tracks with what the veteran congressman wrote in an October letter to the FCC (click for PDF). He said he passed no judgment on the "merits" of the deal but wanted to ensure it was properly vetted and given appropriate limitations before approval.

But Dingell seemed to be pushing for a delay during a Wednesday afternoon conference call with reporters.

When a journalist asked Dingell whether he believed the Federal Communications Commission should wait until next year before signing off on the deal, worth a reported $80 billion, he responded: "I think it would be in (the FCC's) interest, I think it would be in the interest of the committee, and I think it would be in the broad public interest."

more...

http://news.com.com/2061-10796_3-6134196.html?part=rss&tag=2547-1_3-0-5&subj=news

[burythehatchet]

1. so whay was ATT broken up in the first place

the older one gets the more America looks like a circus.

[Gman]

2. SBC (AT&T) has not been happy with the Ameritech territory

since they bought what ended up being a lemon. And, SBC has treated it as such. People in the old Ameritech 5 states are not happy with SBC either. So I think SBC is probably screwed now that people like Dingell are in power. Probably a good thing too. It'll make SBC/AT&T go back to favoring Democrats which gives the CWA more bargaining power with AT&T.