A big thank-you to Sens. Casey and Toomey, from Comcast

12/15/2014

A thank-you clearly is owed.

If Comcast CEO Brian Roberts hasn't conveyed one to Pennsylvania Sens. Bob Casey and Pat Toomey for their recent intervention on his company's behalf, he should do so immediately. Roberts might fret over its proper phrasing because he's not a professional wordsmith, but that shouldn't stop him.

I know a professional who gladly would help with the endeavor.

BOB AND PAT:

I wanted to express my profound gratitude to you both for your letter on Thursday to the Federal Communications Commission urging swift consideration of Comcast's proposed merger with Time Warner Cable.

Your communique was the most magnanimous gesture Comcast has received from a public official since January, when Gov. Tom Corbett decided to commit $30 million in state aid toward construction of our new Philadelphia headquarters. That made Philly's $10 million public contribution toward the skyscraper seem like a drop in the bucket.

Your splendid letter read as though it was written by one of the roughly three dozen (frankly, I forget the exact number) Washington lobbying firms we retain, among other reasons, to help us win federal approval of this harmless little $45 billion deal.

I particularly liked the line in which you indicate you believe the merger will be positive because we told you it will:

“Comcast has informed us that the proposed merger will produce substantial benefits for the public, and that the company has acted proactively to prevent anti-competitive effects.”

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I was grateful that your letter didn't reference the vociferous opposition to the merger by a number of consumer groups and companies regrettably determined to stand in the way of Comcast world domination — oh, sorry, I meant progress.

You ignored completely the unjustified and paranoid concerns that the merger of the nation's two largest cable companies would establish an ultra-powerful entity controlling 35 percent of the country's broadband Internet service and about 33 percent of its pay TV subscribers. You wisely paid no heed to worries from organizations such as Consumers Union that the deal would give Comcast “unprecedented power to raise prices, limit choices and stifle competition.”

Good for you, boys. Your FCC lobbying effort certainly justifies Comcast's considerable financial interest in you.

Bob, as you undoubtedly are aware, we have been your largest donor since 2009. That $114,170 certainly would pay for a lot of premium channels!

Pat, please don't feel slighted that Comcast's contributions to you total only $70,000; you've only been in office since 2011. Rest assured, we'll remember you come re-election time.

Gentlemen, I am proud to call both of you my friends. The only problem I have with our relationship — albeit a minor one — is that it requires me to carry my wallet in my jacket.

With the two of you jammed in my back pocket, there's no room for it there.

Eric Heyl is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7857 or eheyl@tribweb.com.

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