WASHINGTON - December 19 - In response to Commissioner Robert McDowell's decision to recuse himself from voting on the proposed multibillion-dollar merger of AT&T and BellSouth, Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver made the following statement:

"We applaud Commissioner McDowell's decision to stay out of the AT&T-BellSouth merger. He was under intense pressure to rubber-stamp this deal but instead put ethics ahead of expediency. He has put the public interest first and set the table for a consumer-friendly resolution of this merger. Now the other commissioners can return to the business of making good public policy. We're optimistic that all sides will return to the table for good-faith negotiations on merger conditions that will protect consumers and maintain a neutral and open Internet."

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