The Senate approved Adelstein for the job last month after his nomination was held up for almost a year as Senate Democrats and Republicans sparred over President Bush's judicial nominees.
The FCC regulates interstate and international telecommunications over radio, television, wire, satellite and cable. The commissioners are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Only three commissioners can be from the same political party, so for the other two the president traditionally defers to the wishes of the other party's congressional leaders.
For more than a year the only Democrat on the FCC had been Michael Copps, who has resisted the commission's moves toward loosening regulations, particularly those that limit media mergers. Often a lone dissenter, Copps has had little success in slowing the panel's Republicans, who are led by FCC Chairman Michael Powell.
Blair Levin, a former FCC official and now an analyst with the Legg Mason investment firm, said Adelstein will be an ally for Copps but will have little impact on the FCC's push to ease government regulation of the communications industry.
"It doesn't move things in any kind of ideological way," Levin said. "It doesn't change the majority. The primary debate will be between the Republicans as to what they want to do."
Adelstein, 40, originally from Rapid City, S.D., was sworn in Tuesday morning in a private ceremony and was unavailable for comment.
Adelstein fills a slot vacated early by Democrat Gloria Tristani in September 2001. While a commissioner's full term is five years, Adelstein's expires June 30, 2003.
In congressional testimony in July, Adelstein promised to take an active role on communications issues involving rural America. He said he would push for universal service and greater rural access to high-speed Internet connections, or broadband.
Advocates say broadband's ability to quickly send large amounts of data and high-quality digital video signals can wipe out the geographic isolation that hampers economic development in rural areas.
Bush announced in February that he would nominate Adelstein, a legislative assistant for Daschle since 1995. But Adelstein's nomination was stalled after Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee led a party-line vote that rejected Charles Pickering, a close friend of Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Lott already had expressed doubt about whether Adelstein had the experience for the FCC job, and after the Pickering vote Lott stiffened his resolve not to approve the Democratic aide's nomination.
Lawmakers called a truce in June after Daschle, D-S.D., promised to speed confirmation of Bush's judicial nominees. Following that agreement, Bush forwarded Adelstein's nomination to the Senate on July 10. It was sent to the full Senate later in July.
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