The 'Screw Google' Meetings

Things are about to get ugly between Microsoft and Google. Daily Finance reports that Microsoft's chief Washington lobbyist has been convening weekly meetings attended by the company's outside consultants that Beltway insiders have dubbed "screw Google" meetings. The Law Media Group and Glover Park Group PR firms, both employed by Microsoft, denied the charges. An unnamed source said that despite the denials, LMG "has several people who work full-time on Google bashing," adding that everyone knows that "Microsoft is trying to harm Google in the regulatory, legal, and litigation arenas because they're having problems with Google in the competitive marketplace." The meetings are the latest in the Google-Microsoft war. Microsoft is trying to partner with Yahoo in a 10-year search-engine deal to mount a stronger challenge to Google's search engine, and is haggling with federal officials over antitrust concerns, while Google plans to introduce a Web-based operating system based on its new Chrome browser.