Meredith Attwell Baker
Encyclopedia
Meredith Attwell Baker was a member of the United States Federal Communications Commission
(FCC). In mid-May 2011, she announced that she was taking a job with Comcast
, effective June 3, 2011, instead of completing her term on June 30. The change, so soon after approving the Comcast NBC merger
, garnered significant criticism and a possible House investigation concerning the "revolving door
" between the regulator
and the regulated.
, but has spent much of her life in the District of Columbia. She was an exchange student during high school, attending a semester at Sidwell Friends School
. (Coincidentally, she stayed with the family of Edward Lazarus
, who was Chief of Staff
during her partial term at the FCC.)
Her father, Kirby Attwell, is well-known in Houston. He was president of Lincoln Liberty Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Lincoln Consolidated, where he worked with the late former Texas Democratic
Senator Lloyd Bentsen
. Her great-great grandfather was Isaac Van Zandt
, a political leader in the Republic of Texas
, who was appointed Chargé d'Affaires
to the United States from 1842 to 1845 in D.C. The Attwells have been long-time friends of the Baker and Bush
political families.
She studied journalism
and Spanish at the private Washington and Lee University
in Lexington, Virginia
. After graduation in 1990, she was hired at the legislative affairs office
of the State Department
in D.C. during the administration of President George H. W. Bush
(where her future father-in-law was then Secretary of State
James A. Baker III).
Baker left to attend the University of Houston
's law school, graduating in 1994. While there, she worked at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas
.
.
She participated in the George W. Bush presidential campaign of 2000
, and at the recount effort led by James A. Baker III in Miami, Florida
.
(NTIA) as a political appointee, and was subsequently named a deputy assistant secretary of the Commerce Department
by President George W. Bush
in February 2007.
After the November resignation of John Kneuer (less than a year after he started the job) to join Rivada Networks
as "senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs" (a revolving door
euphemism
for "lobbyist"), she filled vacancies as acting
assistant secretary for Communications and Information and acting administrator of the NTIA.
She was not confirmed for these positions. Neil Patel, an aide to then Vice President Dick Cheney, was nominated instead, but the Senate never acted upon the nomination.
She supported Comcast
against the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) during the network neutrality conflict.
Comcast arbitrarily blocked transmission of peer-to-peer
and collaborative software
content, such as BitTorrent, Gnutella
, Lotus Notes
, and Google applications
.
She was associated with problems during the transition to digital television, as her administration imposed restrictive time limits on consumer participation and drastically underestimated the amount of funding that would be needed.
seat on the FCC by President Barack Obama
on June 25, 2009.
After the nomination was paired with Mignon Clyburn
for the Democratic
seat to avoid controversy, she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on July 24, 2009, and sworn in as Commissioner on July 31, 2009. According to the Associated Press
, Baker was "a reliable pro-business voice who frequently expressed concern that the agency was imposing unnecessary and onerous regulations on phone and cable companies."
She opposed network neutrality
a position shared by the cable and telephone industry.
In March 2011, she stated that the review of the Comcast NBC merger
"took too long" and there were too many conditions forced on Comcast, including accountability for access and services such as Netflix
and YouTube
.
and NBC Universal
, Baker prematurely accepted a job with Comcast as "senior vice president of governmental affairs for NBC Universal" beginning June 3, although her term did not complete until the end of June.
Baker said the "opportunity became available in mid-April." She continued, "I have not only complied with the legal and ethical laws, but I also have gone further", emphasizing, "I want people to understand that I haven't done anything wrong."
, said, "I wish her well in her new role at NBC Universal"; whereas fellow commissioner Michael J. Copps, who voted against the Comcast-NBC merger, "expressed surprise at her departure."
The change was harshly criticized by many newspapers and organizations. Free Press
, a media interest group, said it was "just the latest, though perhaps most blatant, example of a so-called public servant cashing in at a company she is supposed to be regulating.”
The Center for Responsive Politics
said, "It's a big boon for Comcast," noting that consumers "can't afford to hire someone of a similar stature to advocate for them."
Timothy P. Carney, a political columnist for The Washington Examiner, characterized it as "unseemly" and "depressing" that she "monetize[d] her public service in this way."
Dan Frommer of Business Insider
described it as a "sleazy move".
The New York Times
editorialized that her "swift shift from regulator to lobbyist for the regulated will only add to Americans’ cynicism about their government."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
expressed the opinion that "the move threatens to further undermine public confidence in the government's ability to make objective decisions that put ordinary citizens' interests first."
Michael Scherer of Time
magazine wrote, "[I]f you stand up for wealthy interests while serving the public interest, chances are there is a nice fat paycheck waiting for you somewhere when you choose to leave government."
The Seattle Times
said, "So much for ethics and public service, it's time to get paid. Unseemly does not begin to describe Baker's actions."
The Scranton
Times-Tribune concluded, "[T]he public should never assume its interests are protected on regulatory matters."
Jon Stewart
of The Daily Show
, an American late night
satirical
television program
, ridiculed the timing by first feigning praise of Baker for her stated desire for government efficiency, saying, "Finally, someone in government who is not just looking out for No. 1", and then after airing a news clip
announcing the Comcast job (to audible groans from the audience), responded sardonically, "Well, that was fast."
After a Seattle non-profit
that helps teenage girls make movies tweeted
a criticism about Baker, a Comcast executive terminated their funding, a decision later reversed after media inquiries.
The group subsequently refused the money citing freedom of expression concerns, and later 600 donors' contributions more than made up the difference.
On the other hand, commentators noted that the revolving door between government and industry
is all too common though usually not so rapid.
The Los Angeles Times
described the inference that she supported the Comcast/NBC merger as her ticket to employment as "silly" concluding that her stance was consistent with her philosophical views.
The Media Access Project
, a communications advocacy organization, said Baker followed the rules meticulously and is a "thoughtful FCC commissioner and conscientious public servant."
In praise of Baker, the president of Comcast said her "executive branch and business experience along with her exceptional relationships in Washington bring Comcast and NBCUniversal the perfect combination of skills."
Another Comcast executive said this event would not become national news, describing it as "chatter", in spite of the extensive national coverage to date, said The Hill
.
He described Baker as "one of those people that actually takes ethical responsibilities seriously."
The president of the National Association of Broadcasters
commended Baker saying "her in-depth knowledge of broadcast issues, deep understanding of the D.C. landscape and strong leadership abilities will make her an important resource for the entire broadcast industry."
's ethics pledge, she may not personally lobby any executive branch
political appointee (including the FCC) while Obama is in office. However after two years, she may lobby non-political appointees at the FCC. Additionally she may never personally lobby anyone on the Comcast/NBC merger agreement.
Baker expressed surprise that she was hired in light of these lobbying restrictions.
However, The Seattle Times
editorialized the restrictions are of little worth: "Any lobbying will begin and end with her. It does not matter if she has a minion doing her bidding. The result is the same."
with 130,000 signatures to the House of Representatives
calling for an investigation.
The Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Republican
Darrell Issa
, said, "We’re aware of the situation and we’ll continue to monitor it”,
and subsequently requested clarification from the FCC Chairman about the procedures involved with her departure and the timeline
of events.
The Chairman responded that Baker first requested advice April 13, 2011 and began to recuse herself on matters involving Comcast and NBC on April 18.
Additionally, the consumer advocacy group, Public Knowledge
, asked the agency to reinstate a lapsed provision requiring commissioners to make public the start of job negotiations, saying, "“No one in the public, and probably few at the Commission, knew that she had talked with Comcast about possible future employment until she announced her departure.”
Jay Inslee
, a Democratic
member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
added, "There are a lot of questions. It just looks horrible. It looks really bad. I can't believe someone would be so blind to that perception.... It's just not passing the smell test."
Democrat Maxine Waters
echoed these sentiments: "I think she knew when she took that vote that she would be going to work for Comcast. She may deny there were discussions, but I don't believe her."
Baker categorically denies these allegations.
in President Ronald Reagan
's first administration and as Secretary of State
in the administration of President George H. W. Bush
. He has four daughters from a previous marriage. They reside in McLean, Virginia
.
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC). In mid-May 2011, she announced that she was taking a job with Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
, effective June 3, 2011, instead of completing her term on June 30. The change, so soon after approving the Comcast NBC merger
Comcast NBC merger
The Comcast NBC merger occurred in 2009, when General Electric and Comcast entered a joint venture regarding NBCUniversal.The merger sparked debate across the country over topics such as Net Neutrality and Media Consolidation.-Merger proposal:...
, garnered significant criticism and a possible House investigation concerning the "revolving door
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
" between the regulator
Regulator (economics)
Economic regulators are usually the agencies established by central government for the control of or intervention in the operation of markets, according to public interest principles and criteria....
and the regulated.
Early life and education
Baker is a native of Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, but has spent much of her life in the District of Columbia. She was an exchange student during high school, attending a semester at Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School
Sidwell Friends School is a Quaker private school located in Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C., offering pre-kindergarten through secondary school classes. Founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, its motto is "Eluceat omnibus lux" , alluding to the Quaker concept of inner light...
. (Coincidentally, she stayed with the family of Edward Lazarus
Edward Lazarus
Edward Lazarus is a lawyer and writer who was named Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission on June 29, 2009. He went to the FCC from the Los Angeles office of the law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld....
, who was Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
during her partial term at the FCC.)
Her father, Kirby Attwell, is well-known in Houston. He was president of Lincoln Liberty Life Insurance, a subsidiary of Lincoln Consolidated, where he worked with the late former Texas Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Senator Lloyd Bentsen
Lloyd Bentsen
Lloyd Millard Bentsen, Jr. was a four-term United States senator from Texas and the Democratic Party nominee for Vice President in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. He also served in the House of Representatives from 1949 to 1955. In his later political life, he was Chairman of the Senate...
. Her great-great grandfather was Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt
Isaac Van Zandt was a political leader in the Republic of Texas. Van Zandt County, Texas, was named in his honor....
, a political leader in the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas
The Republic of Texas was an independent nation in North America, bordering the United States and Mexico, that existed from 1836 to 1846.Formed as a break-away republic from Mexico by the Texas Revolution, the state claimed borders that encompassed an area that included all of the present U.S...
, who was appointed Chargé d'Affaires
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
to the United States from 1842 to 1845 in D.C. The Attwells have been long-time friends of the Baker and Bush
Bush family
The Bush family is a prominent American family. Along with many members who have been successful bankers and businessmen, across three generations the family includes two U.S. Senators, one Supreme Court Justice, two Governors, one Vice President and two Presidents...
political families.
She studied journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
and Spanish at the private Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
in Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
. After graduation in 1990, she was hired at the legislative affairs office
Bureau of Legislative Affairs
The Bureau of Legislative Affairs is the office of the United States Department of State that coordinates legislative activity for the Department of State and communications between the State Department and Congress...
of the State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
in D.C. during the administration of President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
(where her future father-in-law was then Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
James A. Baker III).
Baker left to attend the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
's law school, graduating in 1994. While there, she worked at the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Louisiana* Middle District of Louisiana...
. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas
State Bar of Texas
The State Bar of Texas is an agency of the judiciary under the administrative control of the Texas Supreme Court. The Texas Bar is responsible for assisting the Texas Supreme Court in overseeing all attorneys licensed to practice law in Texas...
.
Telecommunications lobbyist
After several years at the law firm of DeLange and Hudspeth in Houston, where Baker focused on corporate and bankruptcy law, she returned to D.C. She followed Steven Barry, her boss at the State Department, to the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA) as "director of congressional affairs" from 1998 to 2000. Then, she became senior counsel to Covad Communications from 2000 to 2002, and briefly one of the vice presidents at the lobbying firm of Williams Mullen StrategiesWilliams Mullen Strategies
Williams Mullen is a noted Richmond, Virginia-based law firm and lobbying group, founded in 1909. In 2011, it ranked in the top 200 law firms in the U.S...
.
She participated in the George W. Bush presidential campaign of 2000
George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2000
This article is about the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush, winner of the 2000 presidential election and re-elected in the 2004 election.See George W. Bush for a detailed biography and information about his presidency, and George W...
, and at the recount effort led by James A. Baker III in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
Commerce Department
In January 2004, Baker joined the National Telecommunications and Information AdministrationNational Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' economic and technological advancement and to regulation of the...
(NTIA) as a political appointee, and was subsequently named a deputy assistant secretary of the Commerce Department
United States Department of Commerce
The United States Department of Commerce is the Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with promoting economic growth. It was originally created as the United States Department of Commerce and Labor on February 14, 1903...
by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
in February 2007.
After the November resignation of John Kneuer (less than a year after he started the job) to join Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks
Rivada Networks is a US-based defence contracting firm specialising in the provision of telecommunications systems to the military, police and emergency services in disaster situations. It has recently secured United States military contracts worth $240 million. Its current CEO and chairman is...
as "senior vice president for strategic planning and external affairs" (a revolving door
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
euphemism
Euphemism
A euphemism is the substitution of a mild, inoffensive, relatively uncontroversial phrase for another more frank expression that might offend or otherwise suggest something unpleasant to the audience...
for "lobbyist"), she filled vacancies as acting
Acting (law)
In law, when someone is said to be acting in a position it can mean one of three things.*The position has not yet been formally created.*The person is only occupying the position temporarily, to ensure continuity.*The person does not have a mandate....
assistant secretary for Communications and Information and acting administrator of the NTIA.
She was not confirmed for these positions. Neil Patel, an aide to then Vice President Dick Cheney, was nominated instead, but the Senate never acted upon the nomination.
She supported Comcast
Comcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
against the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC) during the network neutrality conflict.
Comcast arbitrarily blocked transmission of peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer
Peer-to-peer computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads among peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the application...
and collaborative software
Collaborative software
Collaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
content, such as BitTorrent, Gnutella
Gnutella
Gnutella is a large peer-to-peer network which, at the time of its creation, was the first decentralized peer-to-peer network of its kind, leading to other, later networks adopting the model...
, Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes
Lotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
, and Google applications
Google Apps
Google Apps is a service from Google providing independently customizable versions of several Google products under a custom domain name. It features several Web applications with similar functionality to traditional office suites, including: Gmail, Google Groups, Google Calendar, Talk, Docs and...
.
She was associated with problems during the transition to digital television, as her administration imposed restrictive time limits on consumer participation and drastically underestimated the amount of funding that would be needed.
FCC commissioner
Baker was nominated for a RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
seat on the FCC by President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on June 25, 2009.
After the nomination was paired with Mignon Clyburn
Mignon Clyburn
Mignon L. Clyburn was nominated as a member of the Federal Communications Commission on June 25, 2009, and sworn in August 3, 2009. Her term runs until June 30, 2012...
for the Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
seat to avoid controversy, she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate on July 24, 2009, and sworn in as Commissioner on July 31, 2009. According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Baker was "a reliable pro-business voice who frequently expressed concern that the agency was imposing unnecessary and onerous regulations on phone and cable companies."
She opposed network neutrality
Network neutrality
Network neutrality is a principle that advocates no restrictions by Internet service providers or governments on consumers' access to networks that participate in the Internet...
a position shared by the cable and telephone industry.
In March 2011, she stated that the review of the Comcast NBC merger
Comcast NBC merger
The Comcast NBC merger occurred in 2009, when General Electric and Comcast entered a joint venture regarding NBCUniversal.The merger sparked debate across the country over topics such as Net Neutrality and Media Consolidation.-Merger proposal:...
"took too long" and there were too many conditions forced on Comcast, including accountability for access and services such as Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
and YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Announcement
In mid-May 2011, four months after voting to support the merger of ComcastComcast
Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the...
and NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
, Baker prematurely accepted a job with Comcast as "senior vice president of governmental affairs for NBC Universal" beginning June 3, although her term did not complete until the end of June.
Baker said the "opportunity became available in mid-April." She continued, "I have not only complied with the legal and ethical laws, but I also have gone further", emphasizing, "I want people to understand that I haven't done anything wrong."
Reaction
The FCC chairman, Julius GenachowskiJulius Genachowski
Julius Genachowski is an American lawyer and businessman. He became Federal Communications Commission Chairman on June 29, 2009.-Education:Genachowski grew up in Great Neck, New York. He attended yeshiva and studied in Israel...
, said, "I wish her well in her new role at NBC Universal"; whereas fellow commissioner Michael J. Copps, who voted against the Comcast-NBC merger, "expressed surprise at her departure."
Criticism
The change was harshly criticized by many newspapers and organizations. Free Press
Free Press (organization)
Free Press is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, national organization working to reform the media in the United States.It was founded in 2002 by media scholar Robert W. McChesney, The Nation contributor John Nichols, and Josh Silver, current CEO of the Democracy Fund, a foundation challenging the influence...
, a media interest group, said it was "just the latest, though perhaps most blatant, example of a so-called public servant cashing in at a company she is supposed to be regulating.”
The Center for Responsive Politics
Center for Responsive Politics
The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
said, "It's a big boon for Comcast," noting that consumers "can't afford to hire someone of a similar stature to advocate for them."
Timothy P. Carney, a political columnist for The Washington Examiner, characterized it as "unseemly" and "depressing" that she "monetize[d] her public service in this way."
Dan Frommer of Business Insider
Business Insider
Business Insider is a U.S. business/entertainment news website launched in February 2009. Founded by DoubleClick Founder and former C.E.O. Kevin P. Ryan it is the overarching brand beneath which fall the Silicon Alley Insider and Clusterstock verticals...
described it as a "sleazy move".
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
editorialized that her "swift shift from regulator to lobbyist for the regulated will only add to Americans’ cynicism about their government."
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
expressed the opinion that "the move threatens to further undermine public confidence in the government's ability to make objective decisions that put ordinary citizens' interests first."
Michael Scherer of Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine wrote, "[I]f you stand up for wealthy interests while serving the public interest, chances are there is a nice fat paycheck waiting for you somewhere when you choose to leave government."
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
said, "So much for ethics and public service, it's time to get paid. Unseemly does not begin to describe Baker's actions."
The Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
Times-Tribune concluded, "[T]he public should never assume its interests are protected on regulatory matters."
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
of The Daily Show
The Daily Show
The Daily Show , is an American late night satirical television program airing each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central. The half-hour long show premiered on July 21, 1996, and was hosted by Craig Kilborn until December 1998...
, an American late night
Late night television
Late night television in the United States is the block of television programming airing after 11:00 pm and usually through 2:00 am. Traditionally, this type of programming airs after the late local news and is most notable for being the daypart used for a particular genre of programming that falls...
satirical
News satire
thumb|right|220px|[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]] is a news satire program.News satire, also called fake news , is a type of parody presented in a format typical of mainstream journalism, and called a satire because of its content...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, ridiculed the timing by first feigning praise of Baker for her stated desire for government efficiency, saying, "Finally, someone in government who is not just looking out for No. 1", and then after airing a news clip
Video clip
Video clips are short clips of video, usually part of a longer recording. The term is also more loosely used to mean any short video less than the length of a traditional television program.- On the Internet :...
announcing the Comcast job (to audible groans from the audience), responded sardonically, "Well, that was fast."
After a Seattle non-profit
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
that helps teenage girls make movies tweeted
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
a criticism about Baker, a Comcast executive terminated their funding, a decision later reversed after media inquiries.
The group subsequently refused the money citing freedom of expression concerns, and later 600 donors' contributions more than made up the difference.
Support
On the other hand, commentators noted that the revolving door between government and industry
Revolving door (politics)
The revolving door is the movement of personnel between roles as legislators and regulators and the industries affected by the legislation and regulation and on within lobbying companies. In some cases the roles are performed in sequence but in certain circumstances may be performed at the same time...
is all too common though usually not so rapid.
The Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
described the inference that she supported the Comcast/NBC merger as her ticket to employment as "silly" concluding that her stance was consistent with her philosophical views.
The Media Access Project
Media Access Project
The Media Access Project is a non-profit group that promotes the public’s interest before Congress and the US court system. MAP grew out of a 1960’s lawsuit against the United Church of Christ and was eventually formed in 1972 in order to advance the rights of the public wanting to participate in...
, a communications advocacy organization, said Baker followed the rules meticulously and is a "thoughtful FCC commissioner and conscientious public servant."
In praise of Baker, the president of Comcast said her "executive branch and business experience along with her exceptional relationships in Washington bring Comcast and NBCUniversal the perfect combination of skills."
Another Comcast executive said this event would not become national news, describing it as "chatter", in spite of the extensive national coverage to date, said The Hill
The Hill (newspaper)
The Hill, a subsidiary of News Communications Inc., is a newspaper published in Washington, D.C. since 1994.Its first editor was Martin Tolchin, a veteran correspondent in the Washington bureau of The New York Times....
.
He described Baker as "one of those people that actually takes ethical responsibilities seriously."
The president of the National Association of Broadcasters
National Association of Broadcasters
The National Association of Broadcasters is a trade association, workers union, and lobby group representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States...
commended Baker saying "her in-depth knowledge of broadcast issues, deep understanding of the D.C. landscape and strong leadership abilities will make her an important resource for the entire broadcast industry."
Lobbying restrictions
While Baker may immediately lobby Congress and supervise employees who directly lobby the FCC, to comply with President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's ethics pledge, she may not personally lobby any executive branch
Executive (government)
Executive branch of Government is the part of government that has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy. The division of power into separate branches of government is central to the idea of the separation of powers.In many countries, the term...
political appointee (including the FCC) while Obama is in office. However after two years, she may lobby non-political appointees at the FCC. Additionally she may never personally lobby anyone on the Comcast/NBC merger agreement.
Baker expressed surprise that she was hired in light of these lobbying restrictions.
However, The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
editorialized the restrictions are of little worth: "Any lobbying will begin and end with her. It does not matter if she has a minion doing her bidding. The result is the same."
Possible House probe
Free Press sent a petitionPetition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
with 130,000 signatures to the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
calling for an investigation.
The Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Darrell Issa
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 48th, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was formerly a CEO of Directed Electronics, the Vista, California-based manufacturer of automobile security and convenience products...
, said, "We’re aware of the situation and we’ll continue to monitor it”,
and subsequently requested clarification from the FCC Chairman about the procedures involved with her departure and the timeline
Timeline
A timeline is a way of displaying a list of events in chronological order, sometimes described as a project artifact . It is typically a graphic design showing a long bar labeled with dates alongside itself and events labeled on points where they would have happened.-Uses of timelines:Timelines...
of events.
The Chairman responded that Baker first requested advice April 13, 2011 and began to recuse herself on matters involving Comcast and NBC on April 18.
Additionally, the consumer advocacy group, Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge
Public Knowledge is a non-profit Washington, D.C.-based public interest group that is involved in intellectual property law, competition, and choice in the digital marketplace, and an open standards/end-to-end internet....
, asked the agency to reinstate a lapsed provision requiring commissioners to make public the start of job negotiations, saying, "“No one in the public, and probably few at the Commission, knew that she had talked with Comcast about possible future employment until she announced her departure.”
Jay Inslee
Jay Inslee
Jay Robert Inslee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes many of Seattle's northern suburbs in King, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties...
, a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce
United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
added, "There are a lot of questions. It just looks horrible. It looks really bad. I can't believe someone would be so blind to that perception.... It's just not passing the smell test."
Democrat Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
echoed these sentiments: "I think she knew when she took that vote that she would be going to work for Comcast. She may deny there were discussions, but I don't believe her."
Baker categorically denies these allegations.
Personal life
In 2006, she married James Addison "Jamie" Baker IV in Ravello, Italy. He is a son of James A. Baker III, who served as the Chief of StaffWhite House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
in President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's first administration and as Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
in the administration of President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
. He has four daughters from a previous marriage. They reside in McLean, Virginia
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
.
External links
- Meredith Attwell Baker at Who Runs Gov at The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
- C-SPAN program: "The Communicators: FCC Commissioner Baker"
- Meredith Atwell Baker at Open Secrets
- Email via FCC website