"Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., was criticized Wednesday by the
chairman of a House technology committee for an attack on the free
software movement.
"A bipartisan group of lawmakers had written a letter urging
White House computer security adviser Richard Clarke to find sales
opportunities for government-funded software projects. The letter
had no mention of the issue of free software, also known as
open-source or General Public License (GPL) software.
"But when Smith, whose biggest political contributor is
Microsoft, began circulating the letter to his fellow Democrats
asking for their signatures, he added his own correspondence saying
the free software philosophy is 'problematic and threaten(s) to
undermine innovation and security...'"
