Daley's AT&T Ties Worry Net Neutrality Supporters

Incoming White House Chief of Staff William Daley's history in the telecom industry has some supporters of the FCC’s net neutrality rules concerned, according to a report in The Hill. Dailey served as president of SBC Communications before it acquired AT&T and took the “smaller” company's name. Saying that AT&T was a smaller company tells you just how big SBC really was.

One of those supporters is Free Press:

"With Daley at his side, how long will it be before Obama caves?" Tim Karr, Free Press campaign director, wrote in the Huffington Post on Saturday.

Opponents of net neutrality, including Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), think that Dailey’s influence in the White House on this particular issue is a good thing:

"Perhaps before the president raises the veto pen, Mr. Daley will be able to ask some pertinent questions like: 'Where has current law failed us?' 'When have the ISPs [internet service providers] ever actually blocked a legal website or punitively slowed someone’s access?' 'What will happen to investment if we nationalize the Internet?’" said Blackburn, the vice chairwoman of the House Trade subcommittee and a member of the House Communications subcommittee.

Basically, pro-business folks love it, and net neutrality supporters see Dailey’s appointment as bad news.

Of course, Dailey may surprise all of them by not wading in on the issue too much while working for the White House. We shall see.

Source: The Hill