Tech titans give more to GOP
By Jim Hopkins, USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — The tech industry, which favored Democrats in the 2000 federal elections, is betting more campaign donations on Republicans this year.
Bolstered by money from luminaries such as Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, tech has poured 55% of its $8.2 million in contributions into Republican coffers. That's up from 47% in 2000, says the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan watchdog group. Among top givers, only doctors and other health professionals shifted more to the GOP.
Despite the shift, tech remains "on the fence" in its party allegiance, says Larry Noble, the center's executive director. Still, the trend is noteworthy, he says, because the tech industry is a growing political player whose allegiance is up for grabs over hot issues such as offshoring of jobs.
The trend comes as Republicans and Democrats battle for money. Their hunt is especially fierce because "soft money" contributions — often $100,000 or more — are now banned under federal campaign finance laws. That means candidates are scrounging for coveted smaller gifts.
Semel, for one, gave $25,000 to the Republican National Committee in December — one of just 689 committee gifts that big last year. He and others in the tech industry favor the GOP because of:
•Key issues. Republicans are viewed as more pro-business on topics of special interest to the tech industry.
Companies moving software development jobs overseas worry politicians will clamp down, says Rick White, CEO of TechNet, an advocacy group for Microsoft and other tech giants. John Kerry, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, has slammed "Benedict Arnold" firms for offshoring jobs.
A sales tax on Internet access, being debated in Congress, might crimp sales at firms such as eBay if it depressed Net traffic. The Bush administration opposes such taxes. EBay's political action committee has given 64% to the GOP this year, up from 56% in 2000.
•Power shift. Money flows to the party in power, and tech is following that trend. Republicans took the White House and Congress after the 2000 election.
Tech ranks No. 13 among givers vs. No. 8 in 2000. Lawyers, who favor Democrats, are No. 1, as they were in 2000. But much of the money for the 2004 races won't be raised until later this year, so tech's financial muscle — and political allegiance — could shift again
Moreover, the sector doesn't move in lockstep. Democratic givers include Google CEO Eric Schmidt, who gave Kerry $2,000.
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