InfoWorld/Reuters: Bush antitrust pick seen against Microsoft breakup

“President George W. Bush’s pick to head the Justice
Department’s antitrust unit has made public comments against the
breakup of Microsoft Corp. , a departure from the position of the
Clinton administration and the states that took the company to
court. The White House on Thursday said Charles James would be
nominated as assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s
antitrust division, where he served as acting head for several
months in 1992 during the administration of Bush’s father, former
President George Bush.”

“The one thing that is very clear is that consumers have
benefited by there being a common platform,” James said in an
interview last April. “If Microsoft were to be broken up, you
would see divergence of the common platform and it’s unclear that
you would have as vigorous a competitive market…,” he told
the CNBC financial cable channel.”

“James also predicted last April that changes in Microsoft’s
business practices were the most likely remedy to survive in the
antitrust case. “I think at the end of the day we are going to
be looking at a conduct decree, more so than a structural
one,” he said.”

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