RE: Splitting Billion Dollar Babies/2

["P.A. Petricone" <pap@tiac.net>]

  >From BusinessWeek, some other voices in dialogs with Congress. I wonder if they have an open mail list?
  
  _p
  ___________________
  Microsoft has retained numerous well-connected spinmeisters to defend it
  against the Justice Dept.'s antitrust charges and other matters in
  Washington. Advocates include:
  
  CLARK & WEINSTOCK INC. Former Republican Representative Vin
  Weber is lobbying GOP members of Congress to give Microsoft a fair hearing on
  the antitrust suit
  
  DOWNEY CHANDLER INC. On Microsoft's behalf, former Representatives
  Thomas Downey and Rod Chandler visited members of Congress before a
  Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on software competition
  
  EDELMAN PUBLIC RELATIONS WORLDWIDE Orchestrated both
  Microsoft's Nov. 11 press conference attacking Justice's case and a Nov. 12
  pro-Microsoft press confab held by Microsoft's business partners during Nader's
  bash
  
  GROVER NORQUIST House Speaker Newt Gingrich's pal, who also heads
  conservative advocacy group Americans for Tax Reform, has lobbied Congress
  for Microsoft on encryption, Internet taxation, tax, and advanced TV
  
  PRESTON GATES ELLIS & ROUVELAS MEEDS Members of Gates's
  father's law firm visit Congress and federal agencies on everything from
  encryption to China trade policy
  
  STRATEGIC ALLIANCES GROUP The P.R. tacticians called consumer
  groups to deflate anti-Microsoft criticism from consumer advocate Ralph Nader's
  allies before his mid-November anti-Microsoft conference
  
  DATA: LEGISLATIVE RESOURCE CENTER, U.S. CONGRESS; BUSINESS WEEK
  
  
  
  ----------
  From: 	Charles Behney
  Sent: 	Thursday, December 11, 1997 7:27 PM
  To: 	Multiple recipients of list
  Subject: 	Splitting Billion Dollar Babies/2
  
  http://cnnfn.com/digitaljam/9712/11/microsoft/
  
  CNNFN has the only Ralph quote regarding the split decision issued late
  today regarding the DOJ petition. Lot's of wiggle room for the lawyers
  on both sides. Mr. Mueller: what happens when a special judicial officer
  is appoint to research a case? I assume everything submitted by a
  specialist is nonbinding.
  
  Regarding the "Democracy 101 debate: Almost everyone in Congress is a
  reactionary, dependent on their staff and the lobbyists. That said,
  Congressmen like Senator Orrin Hatch watched Novell and Wordperfect
  almost vanish as an economic force in Utah. Barksdale and Trent Lott are
  good old boys. These guys read the news, and when college students and
  DOJ attorneys get press, the congressment take note, and usually punt...
  to their staff and the lobbyists. The key here is to keep the news
  stories breaking, and establish a story line that is easy to follow, but
  interesting enough to keep momentum. E-mail applied to CEOs and
  congressmen that reinforces current topics will carry some weight. The
  results will not be immediately apparent, but the efforts are not in
  vain. Senators Lott and Hatch can use the e-mails to justify their
  positions, even if they are favors paid to corporate donors...
  
  >  Jackson also ordered that a special
  >                   judicial officer, law professor Lawrence
  >                   Lessig, be appointed to consider the facts
  >                   and legal precedents that applied to the case.
  >                   Lessig, a specialist in computers and
  >                   cyberspace, must submit his report by May
  >                   31.
  
  >  Consumer advocate Ralph Nader
  >                   criticized the decision, saying it didn't go far
  >                   enough.
  >                      "U.S District Judge Jackson gave
  >                   Microsoft a second bite at the apple by not
  >                   approving the sanctions in addition to the
  >                   injunction he issued today. He rejected the
  >                   government's complaint that Microsoft's
  >                   non-disclosure agreements obstruct people
  >                   and firms from coming forward with
  >                   information to the Justice Department.
  >                      "All in all, the decision does little to deter
  >                   Microsoft's arrogant and predatory business
  >                   practices which will be the focus of other
  >                   ongoing investigations by the Justice
  >                   Department and state attorneys general," he
  >                   said.
  
  
  CAB