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Lieberman Jokes About New Democrat Roots;
Dyson To Step Down From ICANN
"I did a TV interview today and the reporter said to me, the only criticism people seem to be able to come up with about you is that you are a New Democrat," vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-CT, joked in a speech to his New Democrat supporters at the Hollywood home of "Dallas" TV producer David Salzman Tuesday night. The speech, held on a backyard tennis court covered in red carpet, drew more than 400 high-tech lobbyists, members of Congress and friends who were visibly energized by Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore's pick of Lieberman, a New Democrat co-founder. Lieberman spoke about the importance of the support of the high-tech industry and his appreciation for the New Democrats, a moderate faction of the Democratic party. "I was very pleased to hear Lieberman talk about his New Democrat roots and emphasize the issues of interest to the New Dems and the tech industry such as trade," said Gary Fazzino, Hewlett-Packard's director of corporate government affairs, who attended both Democrat and Republican conventions. Lieberman showed up for his speech about an hour late, so while guests waited, they snacked on quesadillas and drank martinis. They also perused the Salzman family home, which was decorated with numerous French paintings.
One of the three panels at the Democratic National Convention addressing the Internet and democracy was hosted by iVillage. Women who used the Internet to spread their message talked about how their grassroots campaigns gained momentum with the help of the Internet. One was Donna Dees-Thomases, the founder of the Bell Campaign and sponsor of the Million Mom March, who said the Internet enabled people to speak out about gun control and join a community without getting ostracized by their neighbors. "I was told I couldn't have a march without $2 million and we had nothing.," she said. "But with iVillage's help, we created a Web site and made gun control female-friendly and we got 700,000 people to march on Washington — from conception to birth in nine months."
Of the three Internet and democracy panels at the convention, the most notable food was found at the Sunday brunch hosted by the California Wine Institute and Harvard University's Shorenstein Center at the elegant Biltmore hotel, where Al Gore's staff was staying. The panel included well-known journalists such as The New Yorker's Joe Klein and "Face the Nation's" Bob Schieffer. Brunch included mimosas, fresh fruit and granola, and all the eggs, sausage and hash browns journalists, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, former Secretary of State Warren Christopher and others could eat. Members of the panel then debated how the Internet was changing politics, and whether the Internet was adding value or whether it was just amounting to information overload.
Meanwhile, the third panel of the week on the Internet and democracy, hosted by the Freedom Forum on Sunday afternoon, had chicken fingers, pizza, cheese and crackers and an open bar. But the real draw of the event wasn't the food, but former White House press secretary Mike McCurry, who was surrounded by admirers during the entire cocktail hour prior to the panel discussion. McCurry talked on the panel about his project he is co-directing with the Markle Foundation called Web, White and Blue, a network of some of the Internet's largest portals that have agreed to carry a cyber rolling debate of the presidential candidates this fall.
Esther Dyson, chairwoman of ICANN, the Internet's governing body, formally announced Tuesday that she would leave the organization's board in November, promising to continue to follow the group's work as both a critic and supporter. "I look forward to being [the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers'] very best critic," Dyson said in remarks before the Progress and Freedom Foundation's technology policy conference in Aspen, CO. "I do love ICANN and I think it can always do with a little improvement."
New York's high-tech community will be holding a fundraiser for Senate candidate and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sept. 8. Clinton is to be the special guest at "An Evening with New York's High-Technology Community" that will benefit the Democratic Party's New York Senate 2000 fundraising committee. President Clinton as well as Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Robert Torricelli, D-NY, Patrick Leahy, D-VT, John Rockefeller, D-WV, and Ron Wyden, D-OR, are also scheduled to attend. Bruce Bernstein, president of the New York Software Industry Association, sees it as a clear sign that high tech in New York is increasing its political profile.
Former Federal Trade commissioner and long-time Internet industry consultant Christine Varney has joined the board of advisers at Aveo, a Santa Clara, CA, computer and Internet services company. "Christine Varney's appointment to Aveo's board of advisors is testament to our commitment to use technology and the Internet to reach consumers, while maintaining the highest standards of personal privacy protection," said Paul Hurley CEO of Aveo. Varney is partner at the DC law firm Hogan and Hartson, where is a member of the firm's Internet Law Group. Varney is also chair of the Online Privacy Alliance. She could not be reached for comment.
Charles Schwab has boosted its information technology policy staff with the hiring of Pam Brewster and Mike Townsend. Brewster was hired away from the technology policy communications shop at Alexander Ogilvy Public Relations in San Francisco to become Schwab's new director for government affairs. "Pam is really smart and understands wireless issues," said Frank Kelly, Schwab's vice president for government relations in Washington. Townsend was hired away from Shandwick Public Relations and now is Schwab's vice president for public policy with a focus on outreach to think tanks and the media.
Separately, Schwab's Washington Research Group will be sponsoring a government affairs forum on privacy and Internet tax issues in Washington Sept. 7-8 when it expects to host several congressional speakers to talk about the two high-tech issues that have reached voters' radar screens. In other conference news, Microsoft chief Bill Gates will give the opening keynote address at the 2001 International Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas.
KPMG has hired Jeffrey Friedman as partner in the firm's e-Tax Solutions practice. Friedman is the former vice president and counsel with the Committee on State Taxations and attorney adviser in tax policy for the U.S. Treasury Department. Friedman is to expand KMPG's capabilities in the area of e-business, the accounting and consulting firm said. At Treasury, Friedman was actively engaged in the congressional Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce and international tax issues related to e-commerce.
On the media personnel front, John Schwartz, the long-time Internet policy reporter for The Washington Post has moved on and up to New York to cover high-tech policy for The New York Times, which recently lost one of its high-tech writers, Jeri Clausing, to Interactive Week. And Dan Solomon, former publisher of National Journal Group's Internet division, has been named CEO of mindshare Internet Campaigns, an Internet advocacy and political consulting company. National Journal Group publishes Technology Daily.
The Software and Information Industry Association named Melinda George as its new education division director. George is to help lead SIIA's education division through the evolution of new Internet technologies that are changing both the process and business of learning, the association said. "We are striving to build this partnership and ensure that investment in education technology results in enhanced opportunities for all learners, regardless of their age, interest or stage in life, " SIIA said in a statement.
 | - by Bara Vaida |
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