I regret to disappoint my fellow Wetmachiner John Sundman and legions of of folks discovering telecom policy is incredibly sexy (a fact I mentioned in my very first Wetmachine post), but I really have nothing to add about the McCain/Iseman story. This is not Wonkette here folks.
Policy, sure. I can tell you what made this transaction so controversial. And it may even have some bearing on the next FCC, given that one of the folks involved was Susan Ness, the former FCC Commissioner whispered about as the most likely nominee to replace Kevin Martin if Clinton wins. It also, of course, involved Bill Kennard who, along with Reed Hundt, is advising Obama. So I suppose the policy might have some relevance here. But as for the “juicy stuff:”
1) I’ve never met John McCain, although I have worked with a number of his staffers over the years. They have been good people overall, and they deserve huge shout outs for their support of low-power FM radio. And while it is true that McCain initially supported big media deregulation, he was smart enough in 2003 to realize it had been a mistake.
2) I may have met Vicki Iseman once or twice in passing at the FCC.
3) I never saw the two of them engaging in any “inappropriate relationships.”
To which I will add:
Am I the only one who believes it is possible for men and women to work closely together and NOT have any kind of sexual tension thing going on? Maybe it’s a Jewish Day School thing.
Stay tuned . . . .
The issue is not whether they %$#@ed each other, but if John McCain has been %$#@ing the American public in cohort with the lobbyists.
We do know that one of his lobbyist campaign employees is <a href=”_mccain_adviser_says_he_doe.php” rel=”nofollow”>http://tpmelectioncentral.t…“>literally lobbying from his campaign bus</a>.
Well, Harold:
I know we’re not Wonkette, but couldn’t we steer *just a little* in that direction for the duration of the McCain/Iseman story, in the interest of blogwhoring? No? Darn you! Integrity is such a downer!
Actually, I was asking for comment about what made the transaction controversial. Any further insight appreciated.
When I worked at Data General in the early 1980’s, I had a dear friend, a pretty goodlooking woman a few years older than me, with whom I carpooled to work. Sometimes we went out to lunch together, and often we chatted during the workday. I’ll confess that there might even have been a tad of sexual tension there between us. But there was never any flirting, sexual banter, touching, or Lord knows, sexual congress between us. I was a newly married man with an infant daughter! I did kiss her once: a peck on the cheek on her wedding day, when I wished her good luck.
I was dismayed years later when another colleague from those years mentioned how “everybody knew” that she and I were having an affair. “It was common knowledge in the office.” Oy.