Big names in online advertising attracted attention in Congress, as House Representative Bobby Rush (D-IL) announced his intention to investigate antitrust implications in Google’s proposed DoubleClick acquisition.

Congress Readies Invites For Google, DoubleClick

Google’s relatively new Washington DC lobbyists will have some spade work to do on Capitol Hill. Antitrust concerns over the DoubleClick deal have alarmed competitors and privacy advocates, who see a monopoly in online ads emerging from an approved DoubleClick deal for Google.

Congressman Rush has already requested a closed-door meeting with Federal Trade Commission chair Deborah Majoras. He wants to find out what their antitrust investigations have discovered, as a precursor to hauling Google and DoubleClick representatives before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

“I share these concerns and am writing to notify you that the Subcommittee is considering holding a hearing when an appropriate date becomes available after the August District Work Period,” Rush said in his letter.

One-time Worldcom nemesis Scott Cleland of Precursor Group weighed in recently with a lengthy analysis of the Google/DoubleClick deal. His assessment found Google ready to become an “enduring monopoly” in online advertising, and he suspects antitrust investigators have sufficient reason to quash the deal.