Wanted: A Broadcaster for the FCC

So, if Julius Genachowski will be named the next Federal Communications Commission chair and Mignon Clyburn of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina gets a seat vacated by current Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, who fills the vacant Republican seat? Over the last decade or so, choosing minority commissioners has almost become the prerogative of the minority party. The list of possibilities include: Brian Hendricks, a telecom aide to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison; David Cavicke, the top GOP staffer on the House Energy and Commerce Committee; Lee Dunn, an aide to Sen. John McCain; Mike O'Reilly, an aide to Senator John Ensign; and Ajit Pai, deputy general counsel of the FCC and former aide to Sen. Sam Brownback. Do you see the common denominator? All these people work or used to work on Capitol Hill. They are basically experts on policymaking, crafting legislation and Washington politics, but not much else. The seat is turning into a reward for loyalty and a test of whose boss has the most clout. Bad idea. As the professed champion of business, the Republicans should award the seat to a businessman or a businesswoman