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| reply to Karl Bode
Re: Does this deal require Government approval? said by Karl Bode:Yes, and it should be approved. After blocking T-Mobile AT&T complained the FCC was slow to approve spectrum deals and the FCC has sped up approval process somewhat...
I doubt it'll be blocked as AT&T has paid up, and the current administration isn't worried about getting itself re-elected.
Opensecrets says AT&T gave about 5 million in campaign contributions and paid 15 million to lobbyists (most of whom were former government regulators).
That's for 2012. A bit over 400 million dollars since 1990 and 1998 per opensecrets (affiliate lobbying records seem to go back only to 1998 in opensecrets).
I tried, but can't figure out how to get a direct link to the AT&T lobbying record. You can see the individual lobbyists hired. It is amazing when you compare them and their prior governmental relationships.
If you can't buy love, with enough cash, long enough, you may be able to buy a sizable portion of government.
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"If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand." - Milton Friedman" |
