What's there to be suspicious about?
Meredith Attwell Baker, a member of the Federal Communications Commission who voted to approve Comcast’s takeover of NBC Universal in January, is leaving to become senior vice president of government affairs for ….Comcast-owned NBC Universal.
Hey, why are you so suspicious, you jaded cynic, you? Comcast says it did not begin discussions with Baker about a possible job until after the takeover had her seal of approval. So it’s all on the up and up! Right? Right?
Okay, let’s say we believe that, since doing otherwise would amount to bribery. It doesn’t matter, and I don’t care. Taking a major job with a company whose back you scratched with a favorable ruling as a government regulator looks terrible, promotes public distrust, erodes faith in regulatory structures, and is unethical. There are other jobs in the world for people with Baker’s credentials; she doesn’t have to take one that makes the U.S. government’s business regulatory apparatus look like it’s fixed.
A condition of any regulator’s employment with a federal agency should be a pledge that he or she will never accept a paid position for a company that has benefited from the regulator’s rulings…not in a year, not in a decade, not ever.
Ethics Alarms 
Oh, good for Meredith. She got over on the system! All manner of goodies will fall upon wemyn now from her example in out-foxing the man-rigged establishment. All it takes is a cunning mind, a ruthless bent and sheer audacity. It’s a wonder she’s not running the State Department! Or will that soon follow?
It’s too bad that we can’t harness the energy of all the winking that goes on inside the Beltway. Between that and the hot air, we wouldn’t need any other sources of energy, and those two show no sign of dimishing and are obviously overwelmingly renewable..
Why don’t you (or we) file a complaint? I believe there are “conflict of interest” rules perhaps:
TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 11 > § 207
§ 207. Restrictions on former officers, employees, and elected officials of the executive and legislative branches
It seems that amakudari has come to America.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amakudari
Eric – that is quite an apt observation, especially given Ms. Baker’s pedigree. Something is rotten, and I’m wondering why Sen. Franken hasn’t mustered up a righteously rageful rant.