ALTS is outraged by the FCC's sponsoring interconnection negotiations this weekend, but shutting out the facilities-based CLECs that ALTS represents. I agree.

First of all, the facilities-based CLECs -- though lacking the brand name pedigree and hence political juice -- are precisely the types of companies you want negotiating interconnection and sharing arrangements with ILECs. These are the companies that bring true competitive dynamics to the market. Second, this weekend's follies betray how far away from principle and how completely into political appearances the TRO has (again) strayed. "Negotiate not litigate" is a correct course, but not if it just becomes a political decision-ducking and face-saving maneuver.