Obama Defies Rockefeller on FCC Choice

In selecting longtime supporter and venture capitalist Tom Wheeler on Wednesday to be the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, President Barack Obama turned a deaf ear to the calls from a powerful Democratic senator to name the first woman FCC chief.

In a letter signed by 36 of his Senate colleagues, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia called on the White House to give the chairmanship to present FCC Commissioner, and onetime Rockefeller staffer, Jessica Rosenworcel.

But the president, with the full support of the high-tech community, instead tapped the Wheeler, who, with wife Carol, spent six weeks in Iowa working on then-Sen. Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.

A former lobbyist for the National Cable and Telecommunications Association and the CTIA wireless group, Wheeler also raised six-figure amounts for Obama in both of his presidential campaigns.

John Gizzi is special columnist for Newsmax.com.