Currently, NOVL is pulling the strings of their senate puppet Orrin Hatch, who is holding DOJ feet to the fire.
Quite an objective reading of the political scene there, PMSW. Unctuous Orrin is a puppet, but Slade Gorton speaks the TRUTH, I imagine. At least Hatch's statements on the matter are coherent and seem to demonstrate some knowledge of the law. Slade seems content to call anybody standing up to Bill a commie. Slade represents his constituents well, of course, I hope all the rich Microsofties enjoy the barren clearcut terrain in their home state that's Gorton's legacy to them and their children. "Forest Health Preservation" and all that.
Politically, Orrin's good for some cover, but the antitrust division is supposed to be traditionally independent from the AG, much less the President or Congress. I wouldn't deny it's gotten to the blood feud stage, between Microsoft and DoJ, but maybe Bill's years of sneering at the very idea of antitrust enforcement has something to do with that.
Then, there's Bill the politically naive software engineer. This assumes Microsoft doesn't know how to lobby, and has nothing, nothing! to do with such wonderful legislation as UCC article 2B winding through Congress. To codify the fact that software is just to complicated for mere mortals to understand, so if it craps out on you, it's not Microsoft's fault. They are conveniently mortal too, in that context if in no other.
Cheers, Dan. |
