I have a feeling your comment will get dismissed as irrelevant snark, but I have a sinking feeling it's much more accurate than anyone would like to admit. AT&T is pretty well in bed with the government, which gives it political cachet that Google can't dream of getting without wrecking its credibility.

Fully agree with you, this whole NSA wiretap business isn't some low level tech grunt and a low level bureaucrat. If someone at the FCC/FTC gets a call from whoever authorized wiretapping the nation they'll listen. And if they start screwing around with the merger they'll get a call from exactly that person.

If Eisenhower was scared of this cabal the FCC/FTC will fold like a house of cards.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together."