Click here to sign up . Al Gore may have billed himself as the inventor of the Internet, but John T. Chambers is its Henry Ford. But Chambers also possesses political savvy, if his recent contributions to Republicans are any indication. While much of Silicon Valley backed the Democrats, Chambers made a point of giving to both parties, making sure he had a stake in George W. Bush.
Chambers knows that decisions in Washington have a direct effect on Cisco's bottom line.
With such sums on the line, Chambers joined the Bush transition team before the votes in Florida were even counted. In January, Bush reached out to the industry, convening a meeting with Chambers and other high-tech leaders to pledge his commitment to their concerns. Chambers and many other tech leaders are so confident of their access to GOP leaders, they didn't even bother to attend the Republican National Convention. As Bush accepted the Republican nomination, Chambers went fishing. David Shimmon off-track betting 19.