Congress starstruck in the Valley

PALO ALTO, California--Washington politicos came to the heart of Silicon Valley this week to get a better understanding of what makes high tech tick. The first stop was the Marimba pool table.

After the obligatory demonstrations and a typical start-up lunch of sandwiches and canned soda, CEO Kim Polese led her guests, a group of moderate Democrats, on a tour of the cramped space that Marimba calls home and Polese calls a throwback to a '70s dentist office.

Throughout their visit, the delegation defied the buttoned-down stereotype of Capitol Hill. Like tourists following the map of Beverly Hills mansions, the star-struck politicians scampered through the courtyard, oohing and aahing at the pool table and other California office staples.

If the halls were less than hallowed, they didn't seem to notice. That morning, when the group mingled with barefoot staff at Yahoo, they crowded around chief Jerry Yang to get a company T-shirt autographed. Dutifully turned out in the official Beltway uniform, the two-piece suit, they then took their wide-eyed tour to WebTV Networks and met with denim-clad employees.

Nothing--not the cinderblock walls, cramped conference room, or the

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Marimba bathroom, which a PR rep said was most charitably described as "get in and get out, it'll be over, and you're better for it"--would cloud their perception that they were witnessing the future.

That's because for the New Democrats, the Valley is the future--their future reelection ticket, at least.

These moderate politicians have a large stake in the in the success of high technology. If they can tap into the "New Economy"--a term coined by venture capitalist John Doerr that is rapidly entering Washington's vernacular--and take credit for even a semblance of financial growth in their own districts, reelection is all but guaranteed.

So they watched, and they listened. (Only one member of the group flipped restlessly through the contents of her purse--lipstick, golf ball and tees, garage door opener, nothing particularly congressional.) Pro-growth, innovation, and communication were the buzz words of the day.

Questions from the California members of the delegation were earnest and informed. Rep. Loretta Sanchez wanted to

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know how Marimba obtained start-up funding and how that could be made easier. (Answer: Each of the four founders put up $15,000 and went without pay for six months.) New Democrat leader Rep. Cal Dooley wanted to know what the potential antitrust issues are for start-ups that compete with Microsoft. And Rep. Zoe Lofgren wanted to know how businesses would be affected by the limited number of visas available for foreign engineers.

Rep. Debbie Stabenow, who represents a district in the industrial auto area of Michigan, had a different take: She wanted to learn not only about Silicon Valley technology, but also its attitude.

"The kind of flow that comes from the businesses here in Silicon Valley, people interacting with each other on an equal basis, is something we can learn from," she said. "I think it is very democratic--with a small 'd.' This is the way the country, the democracy, will flourish, by empowering people to take their idea, go to someone who is willing to invest in it, create jobs, and add to the sense of community and the quality of life."

If that's true, maybe we should all be a little starstruck.

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