The White House has decided to put Jonathan Adelstein’s name back before the Senate for another go-around at the FCC. A former staffer of former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle (D-SD), he came on board the FCC 12/3/02 after being held hostage in the Senate over completely irrelevant matters. If confirmed, his new term will extend to 6/30/13. Adelstein commented, "I am deeply honored that the President has announced his intention to nominate me to serve another term as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) for his support and faith in me. If confirmed by the Senate, it would be a privilege to continue working to ensure that the American public has access to the best possible communications opportunities in the world."
RBR observation: Adelstein has been a reliable ally to fellow Democrat Michael Copps, and is a strong advocate for extending the benefits of modern communications technologies to rural areas. He has also made pet projects of issues such as payola, pay-for-say and undisclosed airing of VNRs. The FCC is set up as a bipartisan commission with the majority ceded to the occupant of the White House, and it is traditional to let members of Congress have leeway in who sits there for their particular party. His renomination is an example of Republicans in the White House and Democrats in Congress working and playing well together. We have no reason to expect any problems in Congress related to his qualifications or service. Whether he is destined once again to be used as a hostage is another matter, but all things being equal, we expect his nomination will sail through Congress without any problems.
