EVEN GEEKS CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH SIDE OF THE TOAST IS BUTTERED:

Tech titans give more to GOP (Jim Hopkins, 3/15/04, USA TODAY)

The tech industry, which favored Democrats in the 2000 federal elections, is betting more campaign donations on Republicans this year.

Bolstered by money from luminaries such as Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, tech has poured 55% of its $8.2 million in contributions into Republican coffers. That's up from 47% in 2000, says the Center for Responsive Politics, a non-partisan watchdog group. Among top givers, only doctors and other health professionals shifted more to the GOP. [...]

Republicans are viewed as more pro-business on topics of special interest to the tech industry.

Companies moving software development jobs overseas worry politicians will clamp down, says Rick White, CEO of TechNet, an advocacy group for Microsoft and other tech giants. John Kerry, the likely Democratic presidential nominee, has slammed "Benedict Arnold" firms for offshoring jobs.

A sales tax on Internet access, being debated in Congress, might crimp sales at firms such as eBay if it depressed Net traffic. The Bush administration opposes such taxes. EBay's political action committee has given 64% to the GOP this year, up from 56% in 2000.

It's amazing how little imprint Bill Clinton left on the Democrats who have now completely reverted to being the party of protectionism, unionism, taxes, torts, and top-down government.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 16, 2004 7:46 AM