Campaigns
Bloggers Coordinate 'Google Bombs' To Sway Voters
     The 2006 campaign is being "Google-bombed." Both liberal and conservative bloggers this week began trying to manipulate the Google search engine so that negative articles about the candidates they oppose appear near the top. Liberal blogger Chris Bowers of MyDD outlined the strategy first. He said the plan involves purchasing "Google AdWords that will place each negative article on the most common searches for each Republican candidate" in about 50 targeted races. Conservative blogger John Hawkins of Right Wing News learned of the strategy and urged his allies to "fight fire with fire." Pete Leyden, director of the Democratic think tank the New Politics Institute, said the idea "will definitely work. ... It's a very smart move." But Jeff Mascott of Rightclick Strategies said that with Google updating its search criteria every 30 days, the campaign likely would not work in time for the election.

Campaigns
'Robocalls' Stir Controversy In Races Across Country
     Political candidates have been utilizing various new tech tools to reach voters this fall, including the sending of mass-recorded telephone messages. Though the political aim of such "robocalls" exempts them from a law against unwanted telemarketing, some candidates in close races are finding that the calls may generate bad publicity. Complaints surfaced recently in an Idaho House race, where the National Republican Congressional Committee sent robocalls with information on House Democratic challenger Larry Grant. Additionally, complaints emerged in Michigan this week over alleged vulgarities in messages about Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. New York Times columnist Clyde Haberman criticized lawmakers for exempting themselves from the "do not call" registry under the assumption that people would rather hear from a politician than someone "hawking telephone services."

Antitrust
House Democrats Join GOP In Backing Telecom Merger
     Seventeen House Democrats have joined Republicans in urging the FCC to approve the AT&T, BellSouth merger by Nov. 3 to guarantee a pre-election ruling. The signatories include Rep. Harold Ford Jr., who is now in a tight race for a Tennessee Senate seat. They argued that a bevy of AT&T-backed conditions would benefit consumers. The views of those Democrats run counter to the sentiment of others in the party who want the FCC to deliberate longer and to take strong steps to safeguard consumers. "It helps blunt the partisan angle somewhat," David Kaut, a telecommunications analyst for Stifel Nicolaus, said of the Democratic letter. Nevertheless, he said "you still have two Democrats over at the FCC who have the potential" to block the $80 billion deal. Approval before Election Day would shelter the transaction from oversight by skeptical Democrats during a post-election session of Congress.

Intellectual Property
IBM Slaps Amazon.com With Two Patent Lawsuits
     IBM slapped Amazon.com with two lawsuits, alleging that components of the e-commerce giant's Web sites violate patents held by the computer conglomerate. The complaint followed nearly four years of out-of-court attempts to resolve the dispute, IBM said. IBM claims that Amazon has infringed on patents covering advertising in an interactive service, storing data, adjusting hypertext links with weighted user activities, and ordering items using an electronic catalog. "IBM's property is being knowingly and unfairly exploited," said John Kelly, IBM's senior vice president for technology and intellectual property. Amazon spokeswoman Patty Smith had no comment on the lawsuit. IBM said its officials repeatedly visited Amazon headquarters, but the firm resorted to "foot-dragging, posturing and non-responsive excuses." The lawsuits seek unspecified damages at this point.

Intellectual Property
Campaign Aims To Protect Consumers' Digital Rights
     A new campaign to combat legislation and lawsuits that would place "crippling restrictions or impose excessive fees" on individuals' rights to use digital technology has gained the support of several industry groups. The Digital Freedom initiative is receiving its seed money from the Consumer Electronics Association in an attempt to ease the restrictions movie studios and recording labels have tried to "ram through Congress," CEA President Gary Shapiro said. Copyright bills friendly to the content industry served as a wake-up call for the coalition members, according to Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, which also supports the initiative. The campaign received a chilly response from the Motion Picture Association of America, Recording Industry Association of America and advocates of IP rights. Three groups, including the RIAA, placed a CEA-targeted advertisement in The Hill newspaper, calling for a "high-minded" debate on the initiative.

E-Government
Federal Panel Eyes Testing Standards For E-Voting
     It's crunch time on the e-voting front, and the federal Election Assistance Commission is getting ready to move on testing and certification standards for the machines. Representatives from e-voting manufacturers and testing laboratories urged the panel to begin clarifying pending rules for that testing and certification. They spoke at a hearing about the commission's draft proposal and said that while the plan will add transparency and accountability to election systems, standards need to clearly outline the duties of manufacturers and labs. SysTest Labs President Brian Phillips said the current draft proposal would aid public understanding of the testing process. Commissioner Gracia Hillman said she is concerned about the public's perception of e-voting, affirming that voter confidence seems to have dropped in jurisdictions with e-voting machines. The commission is seeking public comment on the guidelines before voting on them.

Security
Agency Delays Deadlines To Check Air-Cargo Workers
     The Transportation Security Administration has delayed security requirements, criminal background checks and threat assessments for the tens of thousands of workers who handle passenger-airplane cargo. The agency has pushed back several deadlines as required under a rule issued earlier this year, arguing that it will not be able to comply because of the large number of employees and agents covered by the rules. A TSA spokesman argued that though the rules issued earlier this year have significantly increased air-cargo security, there is a small portion that could have a negative impact on cargo operations. "By delaying the compliance deadlines, we ensure these vital security measures are implemented in an operationally sound manner," the spokesman said. The deadline has now been extended to March 15 for employees of aircraft operators, foreign air carriers and indirect air carriers, and June 15 for employees of agents.

Broadband
Bay Area Wireless Network Stalls Over Cost, Control
     Political disputes among San Francisco officials have stalled efforts to establish an ambitious high-speed Internet project across the Bay area. Two major technology firms face being cut from the initiative before the argument is resolved. The city's Board of Supervisors last month called for a study into the feasibility and cost of an alternative to a proposal submitted by EarthLink and Google to build a citywide wireless network. The board is trying to assess whether it would be more cost-efficient to build and operate the network on its own. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has publicly defended the city's pending deal with Earthlink and Google, arguing that it would be a mistake to abandon the proposal. Earthlink and Google have held a series of town-hall meetings to discuss their plan and generate public support.