AT&T/Bell South Buyout involves Bird Hunting in Ga. and Aspens....

[KoKo]

(Is this weird or what. :eyes:)


Huge Phone Deal Seeks to Thwart Smaller Rivals
by Ken Benson

-snip-

The merger, one of the dozen largest deals ever, was long the subject of speculation and got a major push in January when the chiefs of both companies went bird hunting together in Georgia

-snip-

After their day out, the men promised to go to their boards and pursue a deal. Several weeks later, the executives met again privately and shook hands on a deal, setting off another three-week marathon of conference calls and meetings.

The deal was given the code name Project Mountain, while AT&T was referred to as Aspen, BellSouth was called Birch and Cingular Cedar. The mountain theme was chosen because, as one person put it, "This deal has been a long climb."

Over the last three weeks, both sides camped out at the midtown Manhattan offices of Sullivan & Cromwell, which represented AT&T. Mr. Whitacre called in from Torino, where he was watching the Olympics. On Saturday, the boards of both companies met to approve the transaction.

http://nytimes.com/2006/03/06/business/06phone.html?hp&ex=1141707600&en=eaaef06a5683b023&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[SoCalDem]

1. Just another example of why women don;t crash through the glass ceiling

I know this is not a "sexism" story, but every time I hear of another "good ole boy" type of deal-making, this always comes to mind..

and yet another example of what a farce the whole "break-up" of the Bells was all those years ago,,

[ellie]

3. That is exactly what I said

when I heard about the merger! What about the breakup of the Bells? What a joke.

[GeorgeGist]

2. Welcome back Ma Bell eom

[KoKo]

4. I thought the "duck hunting" and references to "Aspens" was very current

given Dick Cheney's problems and the mysterious exchange between Scooter Libby and Judy Miller...about the Aspens turning in clusters...etc.

I heard Paul Begala say that he had been "duck hunting" in Georgia in January. It must be a popular place for Politico's and Business Execs to meet...wherever that "perserve" is in Georgia where they duck hunt and cook up deals involving tree names like "Aspen."

Too much of a coincidence, I think...but I can't make any more out of it unless I could figure out just WHO owns that plantation in Georgia where the rich and influencial tend to hang out and cut deals.