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To: Andreas who wrote (25818)	5/8/1998 9:51:00 AM
From: Challo Jeregy	Respond to of 97611

To quote one famous person . . . "Follow the money trail". That's why they want MSFT and tobacco!!!!!! If they cared enough that tobacco is unhealthy, they would make it an illegal substance. But there is MONEY there to be had. In act, Bill et al intend to balance the budget on the backs of smokers, so they can't destroy the industry. Just bring it to its knees. Don't want to discuss the probabilities of black market tobacco, etc. etc. Don't care. Just making a point. Follow the money.

To: Andreas who wrote (25818)	5/8/1998 11:24:00 AM
From: rudedog	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 97611

If enough people react in a unified way around a topical issue, legislators will change their tune. We have seen this happen recently as democrats somehow got to the right of the 'newt' republicans around the issues that caught on in the media. I don't think most of the legislators have any fundamental positions aside from what will get them re-elected. One of the problems has been that MSFT and others have not done enough to understand how to frame their interests in a way that catch on in the polls, which therefore drive public opinion, which then drive what the legislators think is a good idea. Clinton is a master of this, maybe gates can hire Clinton as a lobbiest (I'm sure Clinton could figure a way to make that an acceptable thing for a chief executive to do <gg>). The problem MSFT and others have had is to expect facts, logic and common sense to have any effect on the process. Take a leaf out of Scott McNealy's book, just drive the emotional issues independent of facts, you'll get a lot more traction that way.