Click here for a special offer. It is always hazardous to write about an ally from old wars.
Personal emotions can too easily intrude, coloring judgments and biasing conclusions.
But in this instance it is worth taking the risk because the tale bears upon a landmark legal case the United States government has now filed against Microsoft, one of the most innovative companies in the world. The man who is masterminding the government's case is Joel I. Klein, assistant attorney general at the Justice Department. Five years ago he was deputy legal counsel at the Clinton White House, where we were both finding our way. Time and again, questions arose about the standards of ethics and openness that the White House should observe. Repeatedly, Klein stood up for principles honored by the best public servants of the past, knowing that he risked the ire of others on the staff who saw things differently.