ITAA Pres. Mulls Senate Run

If Miller runs, he must quit ITAA. “It’s a wrenching decision. I love ITAA and I love the industry,” he said: “If I decided to enter the campaign, it would mean a major change in my life and my wife’s life. That’s one of the things that makes it so hard. I have a great job and a great life and its not easy to give that up.” Miller, who lost a 1984 congressional primary, didn’t think of challenging Allen until Oct., he said. Supporters put a bug in his ear, and when Gov.-Elect Tim Kaine (D) won in Nov. he began seriously eyeing a return to politics.

Miller has been an outspoken advocate for promoting U.S. competitiveness in the IT industry, testifying before Congress on multiple occasions. Job retention and creation, technical talent cultivation and boosting the number of U.S. graduates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields are among frequent themes. In May, Miller told the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee the U.S. and the EU have been lulled into complacency by success and must focus on competition from “waking giants” like China, India and Brazil (WID May 12 p1).

At ITAA, Miller has tried to treat all issues in a nonpartisan way, he said, and most stances the group advocates have had support on both sides of the aisle. “When I thought President Clinton was right, I supported him, and when I thought he was wrong, I criticized him,” Miller said, saying he has treated President Bush the same, along with members of Congress. Though Miller has been a Democrat all his life, ITAA is staffed by both Democrats and Republicans; his most recent hire came from the Bush Administration, he said. The 350 firms his group represents align with both parties.

Since joining ITAA, Miller has led industry efforts to boost appropriations for federal information systems and worked closely with Congress on data sharing legislation that promotes govt.-business cooperation on IT security and cybercrime prevention and detection. He helped create the industry-led IT Information Sharing & Analysis Center and teamed with the Justice Dept. on the Cybercitizen Partnership, a national industry-govt. information security campaign.

Earlier, Miller was legislative dir. for former Sen. Durkin (D-N.H.), deputy dir. for congressional relations at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and legislative assistant to the House Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, refugees and international law. He spent 6 years chairing the Fairfax County Democratic party.

But Allen has been a high-tech crusader this Congress. His Enhanced Consumer Protection Against Spyware Act (S-1004) gained momentum but didn’t pass the Senate Commerce Committee. He cosponsored S-1608 with Sen. Smith (R-Ore.) to enhance FTC enforcement against illegal spam, spyware and cross-border fraud and deception. That measure passed the committee last week (WID Dec 16 p6). The former Va. governor was vocal on high-profile data breaches. He also sponsored S-196, a bill to establish a digital and wireless network technology program at the National Science Foundation, and co-sponsored a nanotechnology funding bill (S-189). Allen is seen as a 2008 presidential contender. Miller wouldn’t talk about Allen and his record.

Allen has raised $5.7 million-plus for the 2006 campaign cycle. Attorneys, real estate moguls and lobbyists are among his top industry backers but computer and Internet players rank 7th, at $143,050 in donations. Time Warner gave $26,300, Verizon $23,950, Comcast $23,500, VeriSign $18,500 and AT&T $16,500, said the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP). AT&T, Verizon, VeriSign and Time Warner are ITAA members. Database PoliticalMoneyLine said communications and technology firms had given $165,221 to his reelection campaign through Sept.

Most of Allen’s financial backing came from the metro D.C. region with $1.3 million. His 2nd-strongest base was Richmond-Petersburg with $565,960, CRP said. The Norfolk- Va. Beach-Newport News region was 3rd with $268,266.

Miller would be “an interesting candidate, partially because he doesn’t fit into all the traditional mainstream Democratic lines of thought,” said CRP Exec. Dir. Larry Noble. On the other hand, Va. isn’t a liberal Democratic state, he said. If Miller puts his own money into the campaign, it could “really upset the apple cart,” Noble said. Miller made just over $400,000, said a 2003 ITAA filing to the IRS. But outside support would be crucial, with Allen so well-funded. Gaining recognition beyond the Beltway will be “a challenge” but that’s always been an issue in Va., Noble said.

Being a candidate from the technology sector and from N. Va. could play to Miller’s advantage, a spokesman for the Va. Democratic party told us. His lack of “political baggage” is attractive. “Voters like to see someone who’s actually done something -- someone who has private sector experience and isn’t a career politician,” the party official said. A range of high-tech issues, from Internet taxation to govt. snooping on citizens, are on voters’ minds, the spokesman said: “That too would make his candidacy relevant to people.” But Miller would have to work hard to make himself known within the party and throughout the state. That would take “a lot of time and a lot of money,” the official said.