Suddenly, Gates isn't a Democrat.
GW Bush: Hello Mr. Gates, this is Georgedoubleu Bush. I wanted to call and thank you for extending your support for my campaign and I received your check for $500,000. I'm calling to tell you that my polling people tell me emphaticaly that I can't accept that check and in fact, my campaign is willing to offer YOU $2.2 million dollars in CASH if you drop your support for me altogether and refrain from mentioning MY name or make any reference to the Republican party during the course of this election season altogether.
Gates: Wah-wah-wah-wah-wah Michael Dell wah-wah-wah freedom to wah-wah-wah real American wah-wah-wah entire economy wah-wah free PC wah wha WHA!
GW Bush: Well sir, here's the deal: You made a statement about waiting for a Bush/Republican administration and our polling dropped nationwide to where Donald Trump is actually AHEAD of me by 20 or more points. There was definitely a connection. My campaign manager called it a 'blue screen', to tell you that and you'd understand.
Gates Adopts Siege Mentality
Wired News Report
11:20 a.m. 9.Nov.1999 PST
Bill Gates is circling the wagons
in the wake of last week's
crushing antitrust decision
against Microsoft, hoping to wait
out the Justice Department until
his pal, George W. Bush, is
safely ensconced in the White
House.
Then, using his political and
financial muscle, Gates will lift
the DOJ siege and save his
company from ruin.
That's what the New York Post
reported in its Tuesday editions,
quoting "officials close to the
company."
Also:
Follow Microsoft stock's wild ride
Judge Jackson's Findings of Fact
Judge: 'Gates Was Main Culprit'
Who Thinks What About That
In Praise or Contempt of MS
US v. Microsoft: Timeline
Ongoing US v. Microsoft coverage
According to the Post story,
Gates will resist any settlement
with the Feds, gambling on a
Bush victory that would usher in
a more pro-business Justice
Department.
As part of that strategy, the Post
story said, Microsoft is expected
to commit itself to a lengthy
appeals process that it would
presumably drop when friendlier
faces appeared at the Justice
Department.
Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson,
who upheld the antitrust charges
leveled against Microsoft by the
DOJ and 19 states, is expected
to press both sides to try and
reach a settlement.
Although Microsoft attorneys will
probably attend a hearing with
Jackson next week, they are
already leaning toward spurning
any deal in favor of launching an
appeal of the decision.
Although the Post quoted Senator
Slade Gordon (R-Washington) as
saying there is little risk involved
in appealing Jackson's decision,
legal experts disagreed.
Not only will it be difficult to
overturn Jackson's findings of
fact, they say, but Microsoft
could face "hundreds" of lawsuits
from other technology companies
if it doesn't settle things quickly.
Meanwhile, the Post said, Gates
appears to be looking toward
Bush and a political solution to
his woes.
The paper pointed out that Bush,
the Republican presidential
frontrunner, is also good buddies
with Bob Herbold, Microsoft's
chief operating officer. Not only
that, but last month Bush told a
meeting of technology execs that
his administration would "always
take the side of innovation over
litigation," the Post said.
The precedent that the Post says
is buoying Gates' hopes is that of
the Reagan administration. When
Ronald Reagan entered the White
House in 1981, his chief antitrust
enforcer, William Baxter, quickly
dumped the case against IBM
and took a more pro-business
stance.
Bill Gates must be hoping that
lightning can strike twice.
wired.com |
