Members of the long-distance coalition had relied on Thomas Bliley of Virginia, who chairs the House Commerce Committee, to deliver their agenda. But two weeks ago, House majority leader Dick Armey informed Bliley that conservative Republicans, including many of the activist and free-marketeering freshmen, objected to provisions that would delay the Baby Bells from entering long distance. The same message came from House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Republican whip Tom DeLay. That left the hapless Bliley to convene a meeting of long-distance lobbyists in the Commerce Committee hearing room on July 13 to convey the grim news. Stunned, the lobbyists began a desperate effort to find someone to whom they could plead their case.
Nobody wants to negotiate.
Something is fishy here. Fishy or not, the Baby Bells have outmaneuvered the long-distance carriers at nearly every turn. That was intuitively attractive and reasonable. Competitors fret too that the Bells already have the phone lines, switches and other equipment in place to enable them to enter the long-distance business before new companies can begin to offer local service. The Baby Bells have not only outfoxed but also outspent their rivals.