Adventures In Counterveiling Forces

Interesting press release earlier this week from America's larger (though, oddly, less covered) teacher's union, the National Education Association:

WASHINGTON – June 07, 2011 – NEA President Dennis Van Roekel said today that the recent $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T has positive implications for American consumers, students and the nation's economic future.

"Good news for business is not always good news for consumers, but this merger represents a win for everyone," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "The merger will expand access to high-speed wireless Internet service and help narrow the digital divide."

Absent strong labor unions, who would exist to lobby against the might of giant corporations? Meanwhile, Eliza Krigman has a great piece in Politico about how not only the NEA but also the NAACP and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation have come out on AT&T's side, and all these groups have benefitted from AT&T's largess. Ellen Miller from the Sunlight Foundation calls it "deep lobbying."