“The chances of an AT&T-T-Mobile merger grow dimmer by the day, but there may yet be hope on the horizon for the telecommunications giants — next year’s election,” Lucas Shaw reports for TheWrap.
“The telecom industry has benefited from a change in administration before: In the 1990s, the Federal Communications Commission opposed SBC’s acquisition of AT&T during a Democratic administration, only to later approve it under a Republication administration,” Shaw reports. “The current FCC administration has already indicated its displeasure with the proposed deal, which would unite AT&T, the country’s second largest wireless communications service provider, and T-Mobile, the fourth largest. That prompted AT&T and Deustche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile, to remove their application.”
“If Barack Obama loses to a Republican, who would then make new appointments, rest assured the regulatory environment will become more favorable,” Shaw reports. “‘If the Republicans win, there is a new FCC and a Republican administration will be a lot more positive toward this merger than a democratic one,’ said longtime telecom analyst Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analytics.”
Shaw reports, “Each Republican candidate has been outspoken about reducing the government’s regulatory enforcement… The arrival of a Republican president doesn’t mean the deal would simply pass through without a fight, but it does mean that AT&T and T-Mobile may be cleverly stalling. By withdrawing their FCC application, they not only prolong the process, but prevent some of the information about the deal’s impact from getting out sooner.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews readers too numerous to mention individually for the heads up.]
The moment the uncertainty known as Barack Hussein Obama is consigned to the dustbin of history to join his most grateful admirer, Jimmy Carter (no longer the worst, most ill-prepared, malaise-creating U.S presidential failure in modern history), the U.S economy will begin to recover and unemployment levels will fall as companies can once again plan for the future instead of worrying about how the neophyte empty suit will attack them next in order to placate his leftist base of America- and success-hating freaks.
Our government needs to adopt a pro-market agenda that doesn’t pick winners and losers, but it invites competition and it levels the playing field for everyone. – Sarah Palin
LIberals are the worst plague ever on man kind. Liberalism is a mental disorder and through and through corrupt. I hate liberals!!!!!
You’ve just got to be a Daily Show writer to be able to come up with these. I can’t think of anyone but a professional comedian who could consistently pen such commentary “with a straight face.”
So true – of course the handful of resident leftists here will call you crazy for telling the truth.
If there’s a mere “handful” I’m in the wrong place. And quoting Palin on Anything is not only the epitome of retardation, but most likely truth’s opposite. Obama 2012. Or, let’s put it this way, since as far as I’m concerned, he’s not Left enough- Anyone but a Republican! I’d vote for Karl Marx over Gingrich, Putin over Romney. John Stewart or Rachel Maddow period.
“President Barack Obama borrowed a phrase from one of his harshest opponents last night, telling supporters at a New York fundraiser that “all that hopey changey stuff” from the 2008 campaign “was real.”
The “hopey changey” term comes from a certain former Alaska governor and 2008-vintage Obama opponent. At a tea party convention in Nasvhille last year, Sarah Palin said she wanted to ask Obama’s supporters: “How’s that hopey changey thing working out for ya?”
So your say’n Obama is RETARDED! and likely truth’s opposite. Yep, no hope and no change from the man-child Occupying the WH! Couldn’t agree with you more!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0911/64016.html
Guess where auramac just went?
Out come the knuckle-dragging, drooling, right wing loons! I’m off to 9to5mac.com. This place stinks like idiot.
Me too!
I’m a lifelong Democrat, but I’ve been massively disappointed by Obama. I’d consider voting for a Republican, but the GOP will never nominate a sensible social moderate like Jon Huntsman or Gary Johnson, or even Ron Paul. They have to nominate a gay-bashing, abortion-hating wild-eyed freak. Why is that?
To Mr GWBush we owe $2Trillion in debt for the absurd, and detrimental invasion of Iraq. That even single handedly turned world opinion against the USA in foreign affairs where prior to it we had support and sympathy after 9/11.
Bushes irrational spending and the Reaganomic fixation on anti-regulationism (which brought us the 1/2 Trillion $ S&L bailout bill to the U.S. taxpayer among other things) was the source of the current crisis.
No single thing exacerbated the impact of the real estate bubble crash than the repeal of the Glass-Steagle act in 1999 that allowed commercial and investment banks to merge. Basically – without the passage of this repeal, we would not be in the current recession if the Republicans had not pushed through that legislation.
Re the ATT + TMobile merger-
No one here is opposed to success. But not by creating monopolies. We are supposed to live in a capitalistic system, and the benefits of capitalism rely on the concept (and practice) of competition. Yet it seems that the radical right-wingers always TALK of capitalism but line up behind the big industries in support the end of competition. There is little difference between State Communism and Monoplyism. In the first the government controls the industrial sector, in the second Industry controls the government. This is the neo-conservative agenda!
If AT&T and T-Mobile merge, AT&T will use its bolstered monopoly power(thanks to the “death” of one more competitor) to hike prices and gain a larger captive audience.
Joe and Jane Public will get screwed.
So, you consider it a “success” and “loving America” when large amoral corporations bleed the public in order to further line the pockets of their already astoundingly rich CEOs and upper management.
Wow, I can’t even guess why the economy is in the toilet. Why are the rich are getting richer, the poor getting poorer, and the middle class is shrinking. It’s a mystery for the ages.
If the best the Repubs can field is Newt or Cain then Obama is assured another term, and AT&T will not acquire T-Mobile.
BTW, I saw a sign the other day that said “we’re not hiring as long Obama is in office.” I let them know I wouldn’t be BUYing until they were out of BUSINESS.
Congratulations gentlemen for the most useless posts on a Mac-related discussion. The user names clearly show you have wondered into a wrong forum.
Obviously, that won’t stop those who for some bizarre reason need uselessly (and pointlessly) debate politics in an Apple-related forum.
Agreed +
There is a kind of entitlement to post political rants not tech issues on MDN according to these ‘type’ posters and all I can figure out is they somehow can’t contribute their political beliefs in a political forum, live pretty boring lives, have too much time on their hands or all of those. MDN obviously has a full tilt right wing slant and has for a long time so maybe these guys are along for the ride. Between classes, work and a *smile* gf, there’s so little time and having to drill through tired old politicos rants grates. Still, holding out for some valuable tech insights.
writingdrivel,
Let’s see your proof that MDN has a “full tilt right wing slant,” genius.
If you don’t see it, you are either blind or have not spent more than 5 minutes here.
That is not proof, unless you’re a Liberal.
That you, Barney Frank?
Agreed.
Couldn’t agree with Predrag more. When I read the title I thought this is fuel for the nutbars and I wondered who would be first. Why does seeing F2T3 as the first post not surprise me….the #1 nutbar that haunts these threads.
@Eddie…you HATE liberals? Then you hate >50% of your fellow Americans, many of which are both democratic and over in Afghanistan dying for your right to say this sort of trash talk.
Pathetic at best…..Shameful at worst. I’m sure your momma would be proud of you.
Well, technically, most Democrats are not considered liberal in the uber sense (and I’m using that term liberally….)
just as a large portion of Republicans are not Conservatives (and that’s a shame;-)
I think 10-20% of Americans regularly poll themselves as Liberal, meaning that Eddie loves up to 90% of Americans on any given day (not that there’s anything WRONG with it…).
Poor guys, not realizing that USA never had such good President as Barack Obama!
The mess USA is in right now is just the result of the blind nationalism and consumerism the republican folks have been into since ever. It’s not Obama who dived the last thousands of billions $, but Bush and his similar crazy friends!
You want republicans to get back to presidency? Fine so… But that will do nothing but precipitate the pace the USA will be crushed by ignorance!
“It’s not Obama who dived the last thousands of billions”
One word: Obamacare
Thank God for sensible people (be they Dems or Reps – they just usually seem to be Reps) that allow the market to work. I hope we elect some soon.
The Obamination NEEDS to go!!!!! I would vote for a pile of poop over the obamination!
How sophisticated and articulate.
Somedays I wonder if MDN puts out these headlines on purpose to show the world how stupid and baseless people can be.
I would vote for a pile of poop? Is that what they list as a potential candidate for office in your district?
You know, the whole world is suffering from a recession, yet you blame your president. We have a conservative gov’t here in Canada and One in England and guess what, we still suffer from the same recession. What does THAT tell you?
Fer crissakes grow a brain.
a pile of poop is better than Karl Marx.
just saying’….
This is the duly elected President of the USA. Your disrespect is unamerican. It shows that you do not believe in democracy only in your own way.
You should be ashamed of yourself!
I’m sure you would. And in fact, I bet you did, both in 2000, and you re-elected him again in 2004. Thanks for that.
I said the same thing the last time MDN made a post on the merger. The prevention of job-killing mega mergers like this hinges on ensuring Barack Obama wins re-election.
Should Fat Cat Romney or Newt “I Have Some Papers For You To Sign” Gingrich get in the White House, the regulatory agencies will once again be crippled as big business runs amok the same way they did when Bush was in office.
This isn’t Mac news… this is politically-motivated trolling for hits. Pathetic.
Yes, and we’ve been had.
But if MDN is planting these stories to generate reliable hits, isn’t it our duty to play along? No hits = no funds = no forum.
But Janeshepard…..doesn’t it sadden you just a little? Even more so at his time of year….you know…good will towards all men?
Since you asked…I hate Christmas because it’s been hijacked by commercialism. Doesn’t everybody feel that way? Besides, these political shenanigans are caused by some kind of virus, and you can’t hate people for being sick. Look—I was raised in a family where, at the dinner table, in the name of communication, all things were allowed. Food and the occasional fork were thrown during political screaming matches, exceeded in violence only by the deviance occasioned by differences over sports. Girls were often excused early during these family blathers, to attend to our tatting, and I was spared the worst of it. Still, I expect I developed a stronger stomach for brouhahas.
Well, hopefully your brouhahas are not down to your stomach yet! (you appear young) 😉
I am on the edge of 50 and have heard how Christmas has become ‘so commercialised’ ever since I became an adult.
And you’re right.
But what has kept at least a small part of the spirit alive in me is that I have been around kids since I had my first at 18.
Now I have three grandkids, one on the way, and 5 more via a girlfriend (who got busy at a young age, also).
Seeing the excitement through their eyes helps rub out the fog of profit hanging over the Holidays that becomes thicker every year (at least until January’s bank statement arrives….).
Now why would anyone hate Christmas? Sure I get tired of the commercialism but there are so many good things about it. TowerTone is right in that nothing yanks you back to the magic of Christmas faster than seeing it through the eyes of young kids.
You do not have to get caught up in the commercialism…leave it for others and make it a special time with people you like. I have also found that even when I am in the bustling shopping crowds, doing something nice for someone (holding a door open) generally elicits a smile (after they look at you like you are a weirdo).
I grow tired of these political rants. The majority of the people occupy the political centre so we really are no that different from each other. It is the extremists that irritate me. Rational thought and de4bate are forgotten, to be replaced with brilliant jabs like I hate liberals etc.
Sigh…I guess 40 days and nights of rain are probably not far off…..
Buster and TT, thanks. The comments in this thread were more reprehensible than usual and made me a little more cross than usual. Keep the faith.
I know what you mean, TT. I have children that range from 40 to 14 months, and a 5 yr old grandaughter, and another on the way. Life without children happens in some fantasy world, and I’m glad I don’t live in it.
+1
just invites political trolls.
All 536 (Congress plus the President) bums in Washington are bums. Nothing’s gonna change next election. We’ll just shift the bums around, and maybe get a few new bums, but they’re all bums.
Mac Daddy is correct. anyone who thinks the Repugnant party is any less corrupt than the Dumbocrats is totally clueless. Both parties suck. The sooner we eradicate partisanship from our republic, the better.
As for the FCC — there hasn’t been a responsive, honest, uncorrupted chairman since Frieda Barkin Hennock — a democrat appointed by Eisenhower, the last decent Republican president of the USA.
(to be “fair and balanced”, the last decent Democrat president of the USA was F.D. Roosevelt, who literally saved the nation not only from economic decay, but also from fascist warmongers east and west.
since then, both parties have degraded to lapdog status for multinational corporations whose sole mission is to extract wealth from you and me, exporting it abroad into their private hoards as fast as they can.
odd that you’d exclude Ike and JFK…what year were you born?
He said Eisenhower
What year were you born?
Ike and Roosevelt were both way better presidents than Kennedy
Kennedy kinda sucked, he just had a powerful daddy with a slew of top shelf spin doctors that made him great after he died
oh shut up, Joe.
Well, he DID cut taxes.
AND didn’t eradicate NASA to political whims.
He was what used to pass as a Democrat (now called a moderate Republican).
@ botvinnik et al:
Kennedy didn’t accomplish a heck of a lot — I guess funding NASA would be considered fruitful since he channeled a lot of needless military spending toward a domestic, beneficial program that has paid dividends to the world. Other than that, Kennedy was completely outmanoeuvred in foreign diplomacy, ran debts, and we’ve been paying for both ever since — mostly by republican administrations that think every foreign threat must be dealt with immediately and militarily. They don’t think long-term or strategically, winning the confidence of all people, foreign and domestic.
Today’s ineptitude in governance can be primarily blamed on an incompetent and corrupt congress. Presidents actually have less influence than many people believe. The choice today for a decent president would be a toss up between Huntsman and Obama. Look at the facts. The republican clowns in the last 5 years have been increasingly void of factual argument, trotting out ridiculous unpragmatic and unworkable positions, getting all their talking points from blowhard entertainers like Limbaugh, Beck, and Hannity. For all of the “failings” of Obama, he doesn’t get any credit for the many things he has handled well. He had nothing to do with the European meltdown — that was international corporate greed and excess that accomplished the economic slump. Somehow his administration kept it from spreading to the USA. Deregulation of the banking industry, as extreme right wingers now demand, would only make matters worse. Obama inherited a sharp decline in tax revenue thanks to the Bush cuts, which did nothing good for the economy. That revenue was needed to pay off the price of the prior decade or war — we’ve always increased taxes after every war. With no alternative, Obama negotiated with the republican party to give them their tax cuts and kick the can down the road like every president since Eisenhower — proof positive that Obama is a reasonable negotiating partner. Republicans then shot him in the back and congressional democrats continued to sit with their thumbs up their butts, waiting for GE or Hollywood to tell them what to do. Obama is partially responsible for supporting to mideast peoples to rise up against their oppressive governments WITHOUT putting large numbers of US troops on the line. That’s a brilliant success, and with reductions in Iraq troop levels, will go a long way toward achieving long-term fiscal balance. The US simply cannot afford more elective war. That’s what NATO and the UN are for. Moreover, Obama shifted Bush’s off-the-books military spending onto the budget where they belong. It makes Obama’s economic record look really bad, but in reality, he’s presided over constant economic growth in the USA amidst the worst economic climate since 1930. The crash DID happen under Bush, and TARP was signed by Bush. How can the right wingers claim everything is Obama’s fault when military and government contracts are typically 5 to 10+ years in duration? Obama couldn’t possibly shut down the war machine overnight, and he has no power of the purse otherwise — blame congress and our present two-party corruption.
IF Obama loses to a republican in 2012, the AT&T merger will be the least of our worries…. There was no AT&T IN 1850.
huh?
He’s alluding to slavery.
…and he’s high.
there was no republican ever elected president in 1850 nor telephones…are you the stupidest person on this planet?
take that back, that noted description belongs to Joe Mama. You’re only second stupidest person on this planet, Winski. Good work.
One should note how MDN’s post revealed no real news. They totally shunned the rational for opposing it. From AppleInsider:
“A recently released staff report from the Federal Communications Commission claims AT&T and T-Mobile failed to prove that their proposed merger was in the public interest, even noting that the carriers had submitted inaccurate information to the commission.”
“The staff also disagreed with the applicants’ claim that the merger would lead to lower prices while also creating more jobs.”
“Despite repeated claims that this transaction will be a significant job creator, the staff, after thorough review, could make no such finding,”
“Copps also voiced concerns that the acquisition of T-Mobile would eliminate a carrier targeting “budget-conscious consumers,” potentially pricing out lower-income customers. According to him, AT&T had provided “no guarantee that the new entity will continue to serve this population.””
In other words – these right-wingers want to eliminate competition so that ATT will be able to raise prices – essentially a new TAX on the citizens. More flow of money to the top 1%. THAT is the Republican agenda! They don’t even believe in trickle down anymore – all they believe in is flow up up up.
Ever notice the only thing that passes for “Argument” from leftists is to call people “nuts” (or some variation insinuating that anyone who isn’t a leftist is insane?)
Could it be these people have no understanding of the issues, just a hatred of anyone who isn’t also a leftist?
Actually, no, I’ve never noticed that.
“Ever notice the only thing that passes for “Argument” from leftists is to call people “nuts” (or some variation insinuating that anyone who isn’t a leftist is insane?)”
Now let me see…. I always find it humorous how certain right-leaning folks will accuse “leftists” of things of which they are so much more guilty. (Like when the right wing tv guys were calling Obama “racist” – a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black!!)
So let’s just take a look at the posts above and see what the who is “calling names”
– leftist base of America- and success-hating freaks
– Liberalism is a mental disorder
– I hate liberals!!!!!
– handful of resident leftists
– Obamacare
– The Obamination NEEDS to go
– are you the stupidest person on this planet (referring to a “liberal” comment.)
Now there are a lot of really well based, rational, respectfully-phrased arguments if ever I have seen one!
I would rather have my monthly AT&T phone bill triple (which is something AT&T excutives are probably secretly salivating over under an AT&T/Tmobile merger) than to see another Democrat in office.
I speak for everyone who is fed up with the Democrats and the Obama administrations regulation happy hands on approach. Democrats and the likes are just too “goody too shoes” for my taste.
All this regulation that the democrats are responsible for is making it hard for big business to conduct business as usual, avoid layoffs, and make enough money to bath their CEO’s and Chairman in Huge bonus payouts. It is no secret that banks and big business as learnt their lessons from the recession and has assured the Obama administration and members of congress that they will no longer run their businesses in the manner that almost brought the USA and possibly the rest of the world to the brink of collapse. It’s time for the Obama administration to listen
and to respect Banks and big business sincerity in this matter.
Everyone deserves a second chance so please Obama administration and democratic members of congress, ease up on the regulations or suffer the consequencies in 2012.
Not only are Big business opposed to the Obama administration heavy handed regulation support, they are fighting back. Fighting back and winning. How are they fighting back?
Through layoffs is how. Layoff as much workers as they can and sit back and watch the built up of extreme anger from hard working americans against the Obama administration and it’s democratic support base. I have spoken to so many people that voted democratic in 2008 but now will vote republican in 2012.
The bad part about what’s going on in America right now is that i was( and many others)financially doing a whole lot better under an obviously corrupted big bank and big business strongly influenced American government. I just cannot see myself supporting a government that is trying to make right what as been wrong for decades with the results being a financial disruption in my affluent lifestyle that i worked so hard to attain.
Oh as for the new health care law. I don’t support it. No american should be forced to buy healthcare coverage. For the people that cannot afford benefits, i am sorry but in this world only the financially strong survive.
You know, some people will actually think you got a point across.
(not really. I’m just shittin’ you….)