| This is all so depressing Insiders in Congress who put the national broadband plan in the stimulus Act did it because they knew that Congress doesn't do anything at all these days. They wanted the FCC to kick the duopoly market in the butt, and the national broadband plan was the excuse for the FCC to get busy.
But they were thinking the FCC would be lead by someone like Kevin Martin, who despite all his flaws, wasn't afraid to piss off industry (and in the process, make them deal) or piss off the bought-off politicians in his own party. Instead, the president nominated his ol law school buddy and fundraiser, Julius Genachowski, to head the FCC. Genachowski didn't even originally want this job -- he wanted the Whitehouse CTO position until he found out that has no real power.
Genachowski isn't a ball breaker. He's not a fighter. And he certainly isn't a leader. On net neutrality, the only issue he's kind of taking a stand on, his original proposal was much more robust, but once the telecom lobby played hardball, he watered down the proposal, and now it is not going anywhere.
He'll make lots of nice sounding speeches about his "plan," but at the end of the day, his Chairmanship will fail the consumer. |
