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Technology Stocks : How high will Microsoft fly? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Spartex who wrote (6442)	5/3/1998 11:16:00 PM
From: John F. Dowd	Respond to of 74651

GOP Senators Cross Swords on MSoft Reuters 6:14pm 1.May.98.PDT WASHINGTON -- Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Orrin Hatch attacked Microsoft on Friday and was in turn attacked by a senator from the company's home state in an escalating battle between the two senior Republicans. Slade Gorton of Washington state called the Utah lawmaker's remarks "nonsensical" and said he was "completely outraged" by them. Hatch, a friend of Microsoft foe Novell, was not immediately available to respond. The barbs on Capitol Hill again reflected an increasingly tense atmosphere surrounding Microsoft as state attorneys general -- and possibly the Justice Department -- are on the cusp of filing new legal action against the software giant. At issue was a letter to the Justice Department's top trustbuster, Joel Klein, written by 26 high-tech executives. The letter, made available by Microsoft on Thursday, asked the government to permit the release of the Windows 98 operating system without delay next month. Hatch said through a spokeswoman that the letter made it appear "that Microsoft is contacting potential witnesses and urging them to voice public opposition to possible law enforcement actions." Hatch, his spokeswoman said, found it "troubling that the target of an investigation might be using its relationship [with computer-makers and others] to encourage [witnesses] to participate in a public relations campaign seemingly designed to frustrate legitimate efforts to enforce the laws." Gorton responded to his fellow Republican with unusual fury. He said through a spokesman that he was "completely outraged that the chairman of the Judiciary Committee would suggest that 26 high-tech CEOs should not be able to exercise their First Amendment rights and defend themselves against unwarranted intervention."

To: Spartex who wrote (6442)	5/4/1998 1:56:00 PM
From: rudedog	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 74651

Quad - The answer to anyone who has been following this over the years is clearly yes. Hatch is driven by his constituency and campaign funding like any other politician. He has demonstrated the ability to propose whatever inquiry will penalize Utah's competitors and enhance local business. I'm not even sure there is anything wrong with this, it's no different than a senator from a state with lots of defense contracts supporting a new arms bill. This is politics as usual and only someone who has not read a newspaper or magazine in the last 30 years could dispute it. Likewise, the Dole-Bork lobby is quite openly paid by NSCP, SUNW and the rest of the anti-MSFT crew, they are required to disclose their funding, it's a matter of public record. The AGs are influenced by whatever will get them press coverage. Here in Texas Morales has latched on to any cause which will get him name recognition. His last big event was a tobacco settlement which routed $2.5 BILLION to a group of lawyers, each of whom will get the equivalent of 10 times the biggest lottery prize ever given in Texas. Think those guys will support Morales for his next public office? Wake up, we're not watching Ozzie and Harriet here, this is the real world.