Red Herring Communications founder Tony Perkins has left the CEO post to help Bush with his presidential campaign. However, Perkins plans to remain editor-in-chief of Red Herring magazine. Perkins sees Bush as a good fit for the tech industry. "Clearly, he's one of us," he's said. Perkins insists he can maintain objectivity as an editor while helping the campaign.

    Sens. Pete Domenici, R-NM, and Christopher Dodd, D-CT, will be honored Tuesday evening at the High-Tech Legislator Hall of Fame Awards Dinner. Reps. Billy Tauzin, R-LA, and Robert Matsui, D-CA, will also be lauded at the American Electronics Association event.

    Netscape co-founder Jim Clark was feted by San Francisco's Exploratorium museum at its 22nd Annual Awards Dinner, and repaid in kind, quite literally. Clark gave the museum $2.17 million, fully matching all other money raised by the gala. The Exploratorium says the $4.3 million total made the event the most profitable single fundraiser in San Francisco's philanthropic history. Those on hand included At Home CEO Tom Jermoluk, venture capitalist John Doerr and former Apple CEO Gil Amelio.

    Prodigy Senior Vice President Marc Jacobson has been named chairman of the Internet Alliance (IA), which represents more than 150 tech companies in Washington, DC. Peter Marx of the Marx Group will be vice chairman. "With the more than 1,500 pieces of pending legislation affecting the Internet nationwide, government and business leaders are now addressing policy decisions that will profoundly affect the Internet, consumers and e-commerce. My goal is to ensure that the IA, and our member companies, continue to lead the development of sound Internet policy," said Jacobson.

    There have been several personnel changes in FCC Commissioner Michael Powell's office. Senior Legal Advisor Jane Mago is leaving to join a new FCC Enforcement Bureau. Legal Advisor Peter Tenhula will take her spot, with Marsha MacBride moving in to handle legal matters.

    Richard Russell has joined the House Science Committee as deputy chief of staff. He most recently served as staff director for the Technology Subcommittee. Jeff Grove will move into the tech subcommittee staff director slot. Ray Fitzgerald and Melissa Murray are also joining the full committee as projects director and staff assistant, respectively. Science also has a new deputy communications director; Meredith Wisor is leaving the office of Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-AR, for the job.

    Warren Buffet, Martha Stewart and Disney's Michael Eisner are among those heading to Redmond for Microsoft's third executive summit. Business leaders from all over descend on Microsoft's Seattle-area campus to catch up on the latest in tech. "They see us as leading or participating in many of the technology trends... sort of a technology crystal ball," says Microsoft veep Jeff Raikes. From within the tech community, Michael Dell and Amazon.com's Jeff Bezos will attend, as will Howard Schultz, whose Starbucks coffee chain plans to launch a Web portal.

    Ex-Lotus executive Arlene Greene has filed suit charging that she and other female managers were treated with hostility by President Jeff Papows and his aide Sharon Ricci. Greene charges that Papows and Ricci have a personal relationship, and that Ricci has manipulated Papows toward her own advancement. In a statement, Lotus called the sex-bias complaint "without merit and contains reckless and unfounded allegations."

    The living members of the Grateful Dead are continuing their proud bootlegging tradition in cyberspace. The band, which looked favorably on fans' taping of shows to pass around the Deadhead community, will now allow free downloads of their recordings via MP3. The decision "continues the band's long tradition of allowing free access to and trading of live recordings of their music and ensures that fans are not left with outmoded technology," the Dead said through their lawyer.

    More words for the graduates: NBC anchorman/World War II historian Tom Brokaw told graduates at the College of Santa Fe's commencement Saturday that technology has left an "ugly scar on the face of history... An ideology designed to empower the masses became one of the most ruthless instruments of oppression. It is not enough to wire the world if you short-circuit the soul. Technology without heart is not enough."

    Send comments and contributions to Peter J.M. Orvetti.