> Its not even clear that the planned nomination was ever even real -- it was claimed in an "e-mail newsletter" by an author citing anonymous "reliable sources" and then picked up by outlets with broader readership (like Ars) and reported (and headlined) as fact; whether the origin was a result of real knowledgeable people leaking information, or a trial balloon, or people wanting to assure a contrary result pretending to knowledge to create political pressure in the opposite direction or, the author of an email newsletter making stuff up to get attention, or any of a million other ways Washington rumors get manufactured is far from clear.
It's a fair point, as we don't and likely won't know the why. Hell, I see the event chain as a not-unlikely consolation prize that "we" defeated an opponent of patent reform at least, even if the patent reform legislation failed.
But also, we were so badly defeated on the legislative front, the White House could have wanted to test if they needed to switch positions based on relative political strength, if we couldn't stop the nomination.
Having just gotten back from DC to talk startup visa implementation, it's been underlined to me how much goes on under the surface in that town...
It's a fair point, as we don't and likely won't know the why. Hell, I see the event chain as a not-unlikely consolation prize that "we" defeated an opponent of patent reform at least, even if the patent reform legislation failed.
But also, we were so badly defeated on the legislative front, the White House could have wanted to test if they needed to switch positions based on relative political strength, if we couldn't stop the nomination.
Having just gotten back from DC to talk startup visa implementation, it's been underlined to me how much goes on under the surface in that town...