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Microsoft Lobbyists Reportedly Plot Strategy In 'Screw Google' Meetings In D.C.

Time: 01:36 EST/06:36 GMT | News Source: CRN | Posted By: Kenneth van Surksum

Microsoft lobbyists and hired public-relations firms have been conducting regular "screw Google" meetings in Washington, D.C., where they develop strategy to undermine Google in the regulatory, legal and public-relations arenas, according to a published report.

While it comes as no surprise that Microsoft is developing strategy to fight Google on the public-relations and government policy fronts, the reported meetings would be an indication of just how much Microsoft is worried about Google as a competitor.

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#1 By 17855 (205.167.180.131) at 9/1/2009 7:28:00 AM

Microsoft considers everyone a competitor. MS understands it exists because IBM was to arrogant to think PC's could represent viable threat. They, MS, will not allow the samething to happen to itself.

#2 By 28801 (65.90.202.10) at 9/1/2009 8:25:40 AM

Lobbying, as it works today, is an embarrassment to this country.

This post was edited by rxcall on Tuesday, September 01, 2009 at 08:28.

#3 By 12071 (124.170.194.161) at 9/1/2009 9:10:45 AM

ahhh... corruption at it's finest! No-one does it better :)

#4 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at 9/1/2009 10:56:53 AM

Not just the US & UK. Here's a prime example of lobbying in action here in Canada:

http://thestar.com/article/688547

#5 By 23275 (68.117.163.128) at 9/1/2009 11:03:34 AM

Google, as do most large corporations, maintains lobbyists in Washington and in other key cities across the U.S., and around the world. http://www.businessinsider.com/googles-were-not-a-monopoly-powerpoint-presentation-2009-5

The above should explain why Dana Wagner, a former Department of Justice antitrust lawyer hired by Google just last year, is rapidly becoming one of the company's public faces. Along with Adam Kovacevich, a company public-policy spokesman, Wagner has been giving talks to advertising clients, public officials, reporters, and academics in an effort to diffuse the impression that Google has a competition law problem.
http://www.thebigmoney.com/articles/saga/2009/06/04/google-were-actually-really-small

Lobbyists have worked to inform and influence government since they used to hound President Grant in the lobby of his favorite hotel bar where he'd walk to get a meal and a drink several times a week. When the snows were heavy and carriages were not an option, he'd be petitioned to and from his fav eatery.... often he'd swing his cane about to clear a path.

Corruption will never end and from time to time it will get worse and to the point where the interests of the people are subordinated to the self-interests of those in power (elected and otherwise). Just don't pretend that there are any "good guys" or "bad guys" - they are all corrupt and the only distinction is the degree to which they are. What is needed is an active and egaged body of elected officials with direct access to the people via the web. It'll happen, but it will take time and the relevance and therefore power of the lobbyists will give way to a more informed and active electorate that has access to elected officials in ways we do not have now. Instead of BS tweets about nonsense, we need direct to the people updates on what our elected officials are up to. Live GPS tracking of them and line by line updates on what they are doing at all times.

#6 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at 9/1/2009 11:46:51 AM

#5: Corruption will never end and from time to time it will get worse and to the point where the interests of the people are subordinated to the self-interests of those in power (elected and otherwise).

We're already there and have been for awhile. The entrenched interests have the money and power to get their way. No matter how much the people complain about corruption and graft, the only ones with the ability to make any kind of change are the same ones benefiting from the corruption and graft. In all of these governments, one man cannot make a difference. A naive man can think he can make a difference, but once he gets to the top and takes a look around, he sees that there are a great many things that he cannot change. While all politicians pay lip service to the notion of entering politics to make a difference, I suspect that the majority do it for money/power motives. Even the chipper ones soon realize that they can't fight the system so they may as well ride along and get what they can out of it. Even gov't accountability is ancient history. I remember 30+ years ago, when there was a scandal in a department, the minister responsible would take the blame and fall on his sword. These days it's all about "I didn't know", "I don't remember", "IT wasn't my fault", "I need to stay here to make sure it never happens again", etc. And even if by some quirk of the Universe the minister did actually resign, he would enjoy a soft landing in some other gov't boondoggle or safe haven for party flacks.

End rant.

#7 By 2231 (72.5.151.4) at 9/1/2009 12:00:35 PM

The US Constitution needs to be changed to put power back into the hands of the voters and the states. This is the last thing the lobbyists and Congress wants. So we have a catch22.

The only fix I can see is to overthrow the federal government. I am not advocating such, but how else will the necessary changes come about?

#8 By 23275 (68.117.163.128) at 9/1/2009 12:52:39 PM

#6,7, We need a new type of revolution where no one wants to be a professional politician, but as intended, learned people feel compelled to server a term in office.

Learned, accomplished and proven people, working without pay or privilege of any kind - working for the people and as part of the debt they owe the society from which they built their success. People willing to "serve" because they know it is the right thing to do. They do their time on behalf of the people and then they go home and continue to build success and opportunity for others.

I know it sounds like a pipe-dream, but it has shaped my every action throughout life. We who have been fortunate enough to have combined opportunity with hard, persistent work with no small measure of good luck, owe it to our fellows to serve them - but not from a position where professional politicians force us to, but rather from a heart and mind motivated by the complete understanding of our good fortune and a sense of duty to help create the same possibilities for others.

As it stands, we have a dreadful situation where too many professional politicians have created for themselves positions and comforts few of us may ever understand. They sustain themselves in such positions by buying votes from others with the money they take from all of us. They call it justice, but it is not justice. It is not democracy and it is not a republic. It is none of that. It is illegal and unconstitutional. schwit is right. The government needs to be voted entirely out of office.

#9 By 20505 (216.102.144.11) at 9/1/2009 2:05:56 PM

Ketch,

Ever have drinks with any lobbyists at The Willard? They're great fun. No kidding.

For any of you interested in knowing more about the way big business works in Washington, I highly recommend Robert Reich's book "Supercapitalism".

Probably the most shocking part of the book is finding out that lobbying is pervasive throughout the democratic world not just in the US.

This post was edited by oldog on Tuesday, September 01, 2009 at 14:06.

#10 By 15406 (216.191.227.68) at 9/1/2009 2:10:54 PM

#8: The main problem is that, even if you voted out every crook in government, there are endless other crooks that would immediately take their place. What you need to do is to somehow remove, en masse, the top 50-100 bureaucrats and replace them with ethically sound people. That will never happen. The other means would be violent revolution, but first-world peoples are too fat, dumb & happy to risk themselves & their families in such an endeavour, and the security apparatus in each country is robust enough to stop such an uprising. So what you have left is bitching from the serfs while the ruling elite maintain the status quo.

#11 By 23275 (68.117.163.128) at 9/1/2009 3:00:59 PM

#10, Yep - spot on.

#9, Oh yeah... too few people have any idea of how "BIG" government really is. The SES, or Senior Executive Service (an army of professional politicians) shadows every member of congress. They are so numerous and entrenched that getting rid of them is next to impossible - who do you think drafts all the legislation the congress never reads!

An even larger number of lobbyists petition and serve them and the process is amazing - amazingly efficient as they orchestrate pretty much everything that we see and hear. Billions, with a big "B" fuel this process and it is massive and seemingly insurmountable. I know them well and as a former and pretty highly prized instrument of the state, I've seen it from about every angle one might. One almost felt sorry for some in congress - idealistic, sincere and beat to damn death within months... those were the few... the majority are just power hungry and dangerous.

Like I have written before, I tried like heck to change the world and got my butt handed to me.
So I set out to change the world around me and teach others to do the same. Within a model that shares only and as its only requirement, we built our own micro/macro economic model that provides what others like us could not otherwise afford. They do the same and small agile networks of small business owners trade among themselves using the very best technologies that exist. It works and it works for all of us. When one is in trouble, we directly and indirectly help out... excusing fees, providing free tools, or simply buying something from one another... this place and what we do here, is part of that. We simply share. In very simple terms, we made irrelevant much about the system that was crushing us. Healthcare... dental and eyecare..? easy... they are customers, too and we go to the head of the line, or they come to us - just as we do for them and the direct costs? ZERO! We still have very costly insurance, and they still file claims... BUT... we don't wait and care is first and we never see a bill (at least employees don't - I cover 100% of the 1,218.00 dollar a month per family premium), so while it still costs, it does not cost as much and most importantly, we get what we want and need when we need and want it. and employees in effect, get 12 to 17% per year raises in pay without the tax penalty!

Finally, (sorry for the book), but we built a management engine for all of this that, you got it... we share! You'd be amazed at what it does - it transforms businesses and people and allows all of us to pretty much ignore the monster out there that threatens so many. Most especially important to me is that we never have any fear, or worry. We don't worry about money or business and neither do our customers. We all work as a group and by doing what we all learned in kindergarden, we now ignore much of what our government does.

You can maybe understand why I blanche when Latch calls me an MS shill... not at all... being small I just know how to fight big corporations like you do big armies - you hang on to them closely so they can't hammer you with indirect fire and heavy weapons. You fight them close in where the playing field is more level. and by the way... big corporations and govt? There is no difference at all. They are truly one in the same.

#12 By 89249 (70.185.245.149) at 9/3/2009 9:00:55 AM

#7 The Constitution doesn't need to be changed. Much of what the Federal Government does is beyond the scope of what it is allowed to do by the Constitution already. The people do have the power to stop all of this but frankly such a small minority cares to restrict the role of the Federal Government it's quite sad.

Most believe in manufactured and spoonfed bumperstickers these days. W/I Minutes they can have strong beliefs on either side of an issue. My favorite recently was Sarah Palin. W/I 24 Hours of her being announced as McCain's running mate nearly everybody absolutely loved her or thought she was Satan in disguise. Not a single news outlet did a decent story about her for weeks if not longer. I'm sure most on this board have opinions based off of bumpersticker headlines rather than actual research. I'm pretty into politics and I can say I don't know enough to make a ironclad decision.

My other favorite thing is to find a 15-18 yr old and tell them I vote Libertarian. From 15 years old nearly every kid will respond "Why are you waisting your vote?" Mind you those are kids who cannot vote and probably haven't watched the news repeatedly over a 3 day span. But they already firmly believe it is a waste to vote for someone other than a Democrat or Republican.

Back to Federal Powers. My favorite thing I've noticed since becoming semi competent in politics is people who defend federal programs with "Well I think it's a good idea" or "so you want people with pre-existing conditions to just die in the streets." The first assumes that just because it is a good idea it is ok for the 537 people in D.C. to mandate, enforce, and pay for it. The Second assumes that the only entity in our country capable of dealing with problems is the Federal Government.

Needless to say the power is in the hands of the people. Government Education coupled with horrid reporting sprinkled with hippies in our education system has just caused the people to not care or care wrongly. God forbid our Consitution live and breathe through the mechanism that was provided to let it do so, the amendment process.

#13 By 39852 (70.31.225.95) at 9/7/2009 2:14:25 PM

#5 sure, but if lobbying were illegal than we could all save a lot of money, make clearer decisions, and actually put more effort towards R&D. Why is lobbying a good thing again?

#14 By 4240821 (213.139.195.162) at 10/27/2023 8:34:55 AM