Government Property
Patents
10/31/2000; 2:41:56 PM 'Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington devoted the Oct. 14 Republican radio address to a question that has been strangely absent from the current presidential campaign – how best to keep innovation alive in the technology sector. Most of the senator's address was devoted to defending his home-state innovator, Microsoft (MSFT) . But in the course of his defense of the software giant, Gorton articulated a principle that is far more fundamental – and absolutely correct.

'"Republicans don't want software developers to have to check in with the federal government every time they get a new idea," said the senator. "We understand that the best role for government is to allow our workers to continue to create new and better products that enrich our lives – free from the federal government's heavy hand of regulation."'