Seattle Paper on Microsoft and Reed, adds Norquist and throws in a touch of DeLay

Microsoft's home town paper, The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is keeping up the drumbeat on the on-going saga over Microsoft and gay rights. This one includes Ralph Reed and adds a couple of the other leaders of the right wing to the mix:

The article starts with a very strong defense of Ralph Reed from the company, which is not a surprise since the title of the piece is "Microsoft defends ties to Ralph Reed":

Microsoft Corp. is paying social conservative Ralph Reed $20,000 a month as a consultant, triggering complaints that the well-connected Republican with close ties to the White House and to evangelist Pat Robertson may have persuaded the company to oppose gay rights legislation.

Reed, who got his start in politics by running the Christian Coalition for Robertson and who had a senior role in President Bush's 2004 campaign, is a leading figure in the social conservative movement that spearheaded opposition to gay marriage, stem cell research, abortion, gambling and other issues.

Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray said the company has hired Reed on several occasions to provide advice on "trade and competition issues." He said Reed's relationship as a consultant with the software company extends back "several years."

Despite Reed's prominent role as a leader of the homophobic right wing, Microsoft claims they never used him to consult on "social policy issues:"

"Microsoft has worked with Century Strategies for the past several years on trade and competition issues," Murray said. "Century Strategies has never advised Microsoft on any social policy issues -- nothing related to anti-discrimination legislation."

Okay, maybe they can hire Phyllis Schlafly to work on their next microchip since areas of expertise don't seem to matter. They do love those hard-core right wingers out there in Redmond apparently. Because from the P-I, we also learn that Microsoft also had in its stable of consultants Grover Norquist, the guru of the right wing:

Nor is Reed the first prominent Republican hired by the company. Records show that Microsoft paid Grover Norquist $60,000 in 1999. Norquist is founder of Americans For Tax Reform, an influential conservative group that has close ties with the White House and with Republican leaders in Congress.

The P-I also gives credit where credit is due -- to Americablog:

Invoices show that Microsoft is currently paying Reed's firm, Century Strategies, $20,000 a month.

Murray confirmed that the invoices, which were first reported by the Web log Americablog, were authentic.

What would a scandal be these days without some kind of link to Tom DeLay. The P-I raises the question of whether these relationships are all part of Tom DeLay's nefarious campaign to control the lobbying world:

Republican leaders, most notably House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas, have told companies that they need to shift business to Republican-leaning firms or lobbyists if they want a reception on Capitol Hill. The initiative is called the K Street Project, after the street in Washington, D.C., where many lobbyists have offices.

So, we are now entering week two of this scandal which shows no sign of abating. In fact, it keeps growing.