No subject

[Brian Kelsay]

I wonder if this Prendergast guy is related to Thomas Pendergast of
Kansas City political fame.   "Government just needs to keep its hands
out of the concrete business.  You want roads and sewers?  Well just
tell us where you want them and we'll take care of the rest.  Oh, and
leave a blank check on the way out will ya?"

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ahmik" <drbeams at hotmail.com>

>
> Here is another one ... whooha ... Brought to you from Information
Week
>
> ** The Dead Come Through For Microsoft
>
> As if there wasn't enough contentiousness between Microsoft and
> the government, now state attorneys general are wondering why
> they're receiving letters from Microsoft supporters who aren't
> even alive. The letters have been arriving for the past several
> months at the offices of attorneys general in the 18 states that
> have joined the Department of Justice in its antitrust suit
> against Microsoft.
>
> Behind the unrelated letter-writing campaigns are two nonprofit
> lobbying groups--Americans for Technology Leadership and Citizens
> Against Government Waste--that have taken pro-Microsoft stances
> in the ongoing legal tussle. David Williams, VP of policy for the
> Citizens Against Government, admits that some of the form letters
> sent by his group's membership could have been forwarded by
> relatives of deceased members, especially since many of them are
> elderly. But, Williams says, the fact that family members
> forwarded the letters shouldn't take away from their validity.
> "If they agree, they can cross out the deceased relative's name,"
> he says.
>
> Meanwhile, Jim Prendergast, executive director of Americans for
> Technology Leadership, says his group's campaign was simply a
> reflection of a constituency that wants the government to stay
> out of technology decision-making. Prendergast says his group had
> nothing to do with any of the letters attributed to the deceased.
>
> Paul Murphy, director of communications for the Utah attorney
> general's office, says the more than 400 letters his office has
> received--one of which had a return address in Tuscon, Utah, a
> town that doesn't exist--will have no impact on the state's
> position in the case. "It's just a bunch of letters that came,"
> says Murphy. "It's really a blip. It's more funny than anything
> else." A Microsoft spokesman says the company was not involved in
> the campaigns. - Tony Kontzer
>
> This kind of Chicago politicking has benefited many a U.S.
> president. Will it work in this case, too?
>