Deputy Secretary Robert Mallett, Undersecretary designate Cheryl Shavers, Michael Hernon, president of Highway 1 and Edie Fraser, president of Business Women’s Network, took to the podium in the main lobby of the Commerce Department to commence the first government trade show on e-commerce. In addition to showing different databases and software applications being offered by the commerce department to promote e-commerce, two workshops were held to shed a bit more light on the emerging trend. The environment was a bit different at the event as men were in the minority this time around. Since the Business Women’s Network Global Business Summit was taking place in town, women from 97 different countries sat in on the workshops, the first of which was given by an all-female panel. Elizabeth Blumenfeld of BBB Online, Paula Bruening, TRUSTe director of policy and compliance, Jill Lesser, AOL’s vice president for domestic policy, and Dana Rosenfled, associate director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, discussed ways to promote consumer confidence on the Internet.

     Globalization was the topic of the week and the Democratic Leadership Council weighed in on the issue offering a plethora of perspectives, including some of the high-tech industry’s most vocal legislators. Here’s some high-tech highlights: In the segment addressing the impact of globalization on trade, Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, said that seeking a common ground on trade was important to her state’s tech sector since 50 to 60 percent of IT workers earn much of their revenue from trade with the Pacific Rim. Touting her new millennium mantra "Reboot, Retool, Refrain," Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-CA, touched on the digital divide, telecom competition, and Internet access problems in schools. But ultimately stressed that "we need to make sure the playing fields are level. We are doing everything we can to move faster. We aren’t as quick, responsive and forward thinking in Washington as we need to be sometimes." Other conference speakers were DLC Chairman and Sen. Joe Lieberman, CT, Rep. Adam Smith, WA, Rep. Cal Dooley, CA, DLC President Al From, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and Progressive Policy Institute President Will Marshall.

     "The Internet works fast and sometimes the government doesn’t work as fast — therein lies the rub, said Agency.com President and CEO Chan Suh, referring to the tenterhooks that Internet technology often hangs on. During the discussion billed as "Globalization in the E-commerce World" and hosted by EcomForum, a public policy advocacy group, Suh joined Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY, to talk about problems facing e-commerce. Putting the crowd at ease, Suh said that he was not accustomed to addressing an audience of legislators since he was used to "being with Internet geeks." But he got right down to business by saying, "people in our industry are fond of complaining about Congress not taking enough action. We can help to connect Congress with those of us working in the trenches then maybe we will have a better understanding of both sides." He also warned that Americans will account for only one-third of Internet users worldwide, and that other countries may be besting America in certain areas of technology development.

     Nicholas Graham is calling it curtains for his position as director of communications for Sen. John Chafee, R-RI. Graham will be doing the same job, but for Dulles, VA-based America Online. His resume includes working at the National Republican Senatorial Committee and serving as deputy director of communications and speechwriter for Sen. Olympia Snowe, R-ME. But Chafee will not be left in the lurch, as John Goodman will fill the position, working out of the senator’s office in Providence. Goodman was Chafee’s deputy secretary as of last June, but left to become interim campaign manager for Chafee’s son Lincoln Chafee, during his run for Senate. Now, Goodman is back and says that very little is different now that he’s the director of communications.
     "It’s always been a team effort. But now all of the responsibility falls on my shoulders," he said.

     The Motley Fool is no jester. It has added longtime Securities and Exchange executive Jay Perlman to its staff. It all started when Tom Gardner, who founded the Alexandria, VA-based online investment information company in 1993 along with sibling David, testified before the Senate subcommittee at hearings on Internet fraud last March. Gardner and company met Perlman there, struck up a conversation and then talked to him again a few weeks later.
     "We’re not really sure if we approached him or if he approached us," said Lawrence Greenberg, Motley's associate general counsel.
     Apparently, it doesn’t really matter. Perlman will join Greenberg and Marthe LaRosiliere as the Fool’s counsel the first week in November. "We are most excited about his knowledge of Internet and securities regulation and special things he will do related to regulatory outreach and education efforts because he has been very active throughout the government and elsewhere on detecting and avoiding securities fraud on the Internet."

     The Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, flush with new technology members like America Online, bypassed the typical gold-tone pen or coffee mug token for speakers at its technology breakfast on Thursday. Instead, crystal water pitchers from Tiffany's were in order for speakers Rick Lane, Chamber of Commerce director of congressional and public affairs, Grover Norquist, member of the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce, and Ralph Tabor, associate legislative director for the National Association of Counties. "It wasn't Waterford, we're still a non-profit," said the chamber's spokesman Tony Howard.

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