FCC chair pick may antagonize Obama supporters

President Obama will soon pick a candidate to replace outgoing FCC chair Julius Genachowski, but if he chooses industry favored Tom Wheeler, the president could antagonize many of the constituencies that helped elect him, as well many Democrats in the Senate. According to The Hill’s Brendan Sasso, “Opposition to Wheeler is coming from several groups. The New America Foundation, Free Press, Demand Progress and others warned Obama that Wheeler would be too close to the industries he would be in charge of regulating.” And, as reported in Speed Matters last week, Senate Democrats are strongly backing former Jay Rockefeller aide FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, while women's groups are pushing for a historic first – a female FCC chair.

Obama walking into political minefield as he taps new FCC chairman (Mar. 31, 2013)

A woman for FCC chair (Speed Matters, Mar. 28, 2103)