Sohn's announcement earlier this week that she asked Biden to withdraw her name for the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) after facing "unrelenting, dishonest and cruel attack" ends a two-year battle to get her confirmed.
Biden pulled her nomination after three nomination hearings and an onslaught of attacks that Sohn and her supporters argued were led by cable and media lobbyists and echoed by Republicans. But advocacy groups said Democrats share a good portion of the blame.
"The industry probably led in financing the attacks, the Republicans were happy to echo them. But the reality is that Democrats still had a majority that should have been able to vote for their own party's — their own president's — nominee," said Craig Aaron, president and co-CEO of Free Press, an advocacy group that promotes affordable internet access and restoring net neutrality rules
Maria Langholz, communications director at progressive nonprofit Demand Progress, said "while it would be easiest to blame the right wing for her nomination failing, there was missing urgency and commitment from Democrats in the White House and Senate."
Senate Commerce Committee Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said in a statement that while she was disappointed she respected Sohn's decision to withdraw her nomination.
A Cantwell spokesperson declined to comment on the criticism of how Democrats handled the nomination. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did not respond to a request for comment.
The advocacy groups also urged the White House not to balk and pick an "industry friendly" nominee to replace Sohn.
"The worst thing that the White House and the Senate can do now, is try to come up with some kind of candidate that they think won't anger industry," Aaron said.
Read the full report at TheHill.com.
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