Wheeler’s Slyly Subtle Subterfuge

[Commentary] Given Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler’s successful background in the telecom, cellular, Internet and venture-capital industries and his prior position on Internet regulation, one must wonder why he produced such a flawed, counterproductive set of regulations.

Chairman Wheeler was put in a no-win situation when President Barack Obama publicly called for the application of Title II regulation to the Internet -- do the “right” thing by ignoring the command or risk a confrontation with a determined president who isn’t above using unfounded executive authority to get his way. I suggest that Chairman Wheeler executed a brilliant subterfuge: purposely create a seriously flawed set of regulations, make a series of public comments admitting to the shortcomings and thereby set the stage for a long court battle that will most likely result in the rules being overturned, or tied up long enough for a new president and FCC chairman to withdraw the regulations.