Yet another "Year 2000 bug" ?

Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., yesterday delivered a caustic speech against Vice President Al Gore and the Justice Department, saying that the administration is unfairly targeting Microsoft Corp. and Intel Corp."If J. Klein, R. Pitofsky and all their little acolytes could catch just one mugger, they would have done something of more value for the country," Gorton said. "For that matter, we_d owe the mugger a debt of gratitude for distracting these errant knights from their destructive mission." Gorton said he will put the screws to the Justice Department because of its aggression against Microsoft, and will "seek to stop the Justice Department_s grab for more funding through the Appropriations Committee when there are basic law enforcement needs going unfunded. I intend to conduct congressional oversight authority of the department_s out-of-control antitrust division in ever committee in which it is appropriate, and I will seek out every other legitimate vehicle to provide congressional control of this out-of-control, time-warped throwback to the _60s." Klein is the assistant attorney general at the helm of the Justice Department_s actions against Microsoft, while Pitofsky is the chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which is launching proceedings against Intel. Gorton accused the Justice Department of fighting for the interests of Microsoft_s deep-pocketed Silicon Valley rivals in the Microsoft antitrust trial so those companies would turn around in 2000 and fund Gore_s bid for the presidency. "I agree with Klein_s assessment on one count - this trial was designed precisely to reallocate resources --from Microsoft to Microsoft_s competitors," Gorton said. "And why would the department want to do that? Perhaps because the resources the administration really wants to reallocate are California_s electoral votes into Al Gore_s column come the year 2000." Gore Spokesman Ch. Lehane trundled out the vice president_s official response to the Gorton salvo, telling Newsbytes that "Sen. Gorton appears to be suffering from a Year 2000 bug of his own.