Hallelujah!

Microsoft cuts ties to Microsoft. Story here.

Many thanks to Invictus at Blah3 for the link.

Microsoft Corp. has severed its partnership with conservative consultant Ralph Reed, the company confirmed Friday, ending for now a relationship that joined Microsoft with a powerful Republican dealmaker but also helped fuel a controversy over gay rights legislation.

Microsoft spokeswoman Ginny Terzano said the decision to end Reed's $20, 000-a-month retainer was made in the past few weeks, portraying it as a routine reshuffling of consultants who regularly assist the far-flung company.

"I will confirm that Ralph Reed is no longer on retainer," Terzano said. Terzano declined to say who made the decision but she insisted that Reed, who gained fame as a leader of the Christian Coalition, was hired only to advise the company on "international trade and competitive issues."
"He did not do any work on social issues for us," she said. Reed has worked off and on for Microsoft for seven years, federal records show.

Now, having been a Microsoft "consultant" more than once, I have to say that it's quite hard to imagine what role Ralph Reed would have played in "international trade and competitive issues". Having read his bio a few times, I see nothing in his background to suggest he would be helpful in any capacity - if not that he was just collecting blackmail - except as someone who can get George Bush on the phone like that - so long as Georgie isn't power napping.

And the timing - so close to the whole brouhaha - seems like an extra-large (maybe even XXXL) coinkidinky.

But hey, I'm a she-blogger, so what do I know? ::shit-eating grin::