FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, one of the Republican commissioners who recently voted in favor of Comcast's NBC takeover, just got a new job as SVP of government affairs at Comcast.

Pretty sleazy.

The FCC is supposed to be regulating the telecom industry with the public in mind. There's already a lot of skepticism that this is how the system works.

And when one of the most important FCC employees bolts for a sweet job at one of the biggest companies she is supposed to be regulating, there are few reasons for the public to have confidence in the agency.

Sure, it's probably a good hire for Comcast, and it's not like the public had any respect for the cable giant to begin with. This is the company, if you recall, that supposedly paid people to take naps at a FCC meeting.

And it's probably a good job for Baker. We assume there's nothing illegal about this move. And, of course, former government employees should eventually be able to work in the private sector without penalty.

But given the timing, this should be embarrassing for everyone involved, especially Baker and the FCC.

From the archives: Comcast's Supporters At FCC Meeting: Paid, Asleep