Senate antitrust chief criticizes DOJ decision
The Justice Department's decision to approve the merger between Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. and XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. has provoked criticism from a key lawmaker: Senator Herb Kohl.Kohl (D-WI), who just happens to be the Senate antitrust subcommittee chairman, laid blame on the DOJ for "failing to oppose numerous mergers which reduced competition in key industries, resulting in the Justice Department not bringing a single contested merger case in nearly four years."
Something tells me the DOJ doesn't care.
"We urge that the FCC find the merger contrary to the public interest and exercise its authority to block it," Kohl said in a statement.
[Reuters]

Comments
Oh Herb Kohl, Mr. Milwaukee Bucks. You are so impartial. I just hope in '08 the Democrats lose the big chair again, and well see you lose not just money in your pocket from your Terrestrial Radio deals, but also your party's half-assed pull.
Posted by: Murphy | March 24, 2008 10:56 PM
fuck off
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:00 PM
fuck off
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:00 PM
He won't succeed. The money has won. As a long time worker bee at The Eck, it's time to go.
Lee Abrams made the right move....I'll be following him as quickly as I can put something together. I'll be packing up my stuff and trying for something before all my friends are competing with me for the few jobs out there....that's real competition.
See you in the funny papers.
So sad to see it go, but I have no desire to be cut by Mel again, or have to wander the halls like Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scott after the aliens have reduced the rest of the crew to little cubes.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:03 PM
I suppose it would be considered out of line for me to write the good senator and tell him to go f himself?
Posted by: Tom | March 24, 2008 11:07 PM
haha check out that picture. senator kohl is old as fuck, i wonder if he knows what a satellite is
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:10 PM
Ol' Herb doesn't shut up and go away like the rest of the Senators that signed the anti-merger letter. Gotta give him props. Amazing he doesn't see the forest for the trees. Guess he sees the green instead. Doesn't he hear the 90% majority of consumers....not lobbyists....who want this merger??
Good thing I'm in IL Herb - I would personally campaign against someone for the first time in my life if you were my Senator.
Posted by: Gregg | March 24, 2008 11:11 PM
Ol' Herb doesn't shut up and go away like the rest of the Senators that signed the anti-merger letter. Gotta give him props. Amazing he doesn't see the forest for the trees. Guess he sees the green instead. Doesn't he hear the 90% majority of consumers....not lobbyists....who want this merger??
Good thing I'm in IL Herb - I would personally campaign against someone for the first time in my life if you were my Senator.
Posted by: Gregg | March 24, 2008 11:11 PM
this guy is the biggest asshole ive ever seen in congress. So the way to block it is to spend more money on more recievers. Get the fuck out of here. I just want NBA NFL NHL and MLB on one reciever and thats final. So tell this asshole along with GEORGETOWN and the NAB to fuck off!! In cases like these the FCC has never gone AGAINST the DOJ!!!
Posted by: davey1975 | March 24, 2008 11:13 PM
Who did he get money from? If it was radio they did not get anything but some words.
Maybe he just does not understand that Sirius and XM have made no money?
Posted by: John | March 24, 2008 11:14 PM
this guy is the biggest asshole ive ever seen in congress. So the way to block it is to spend more money on more recievers. Get the fuck out of here. I just want NBA NFL NHL and MLB on one reciever and thats final. So tell this asshole along with GEORGETOWN and the NAB to fuck off!! In cases like these the FCC has never gone AGAINST the DOJ!!!
Posted by: davey1975 | March 24, 2008 11:15 PM
Hey Herb,
Hire Bill Simmons as GM for the Bucks and I'll forgive this moment of senility.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:24 PM
Herb Kohl is a complete asshole. He has never....I repeat never made a good decision in his life. He is against every merger and always has been. Herb...please ride off into the sunset. The people of Wisconsin should be embarrassed to call him one of thier own.
Posted by: gofast | March 24, 2008 11:26 PM
read the last line on the last statement from orbitcast.com and it states the following... The FCC has NEVER went against decisions from the DOJ... Reports are that that the FCC will make a decision at the end of the week??? Could it actually happen???
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 24, 2008 11:27 PM
and wat reasoning does he have to make such a statement.........
2 vs 1 blah.......
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 25, 2008 12:51 AM
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/busted-senator.html
It seems that everytime a lawmaker comes out in opposition of the Sirius-XM merger, they have some level of financial motivation. First there was Arizona's Mike Hubbard, who ended up owning his own radio station, and now it turns out that Senator Herb Kohl has his own financial stake in a terrestrial radio endeavor.
Posted by: Kohl_is_NAB's_BUDDY | March 25, 2008 1:45 AM
Conflict of interest-
http://www.orbitcast.com/archives/busted-senator-kohls-financial-conflict-of-interest.html
Posted by: advdec | March 25, 2008 5:10 AM
Hey Herb..want to sell your Bucks Radio Network or reverse your new advertising deal with the flagship station? Just a little hypocrasy? TV
Posted by: Tvstockpix | March 25, 2008 8:48 AM
BlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlahBlah
Posted by: RonAndFezNoonTo2:40 | March 25, 2008 9:29 AM
Apparently this guy has too much cheese in his head to think clearly. Or to think at all for that matter.
Posted by: Flap Jackson | March 25, 2008 9:34 AM
Doesn't he hear the 90% majority of consumers....not lobbyists....who want this merger??
Sometimes those who are elected need to save "the 90% majority of consumers" (those numbers are BS by the way) from their fanboy urges. Elected officials have the ability to step back and properly assess the situation.
monopoly's are bad for consumers. If the merge goes thru sat radio will be of less value to consumers.
Posted by: Anonymous Coward | March 25, 2008 9:35 AM
After 400 days of reading all short interest loser BS comments, finally you can all eat your shorts!
Don't bet against Mel! You bunch of F-kin losers. Time to crawl back under your short rocks.
Thank you Orbicast for always providing the information I needed to stay positive.
Long time SIRI XMSR investor.
Posted by: Threader | March 25, 2008 9:42 AM