Tech may want to pay attention to Washington

[Commentary] The tech industry's interest in Washington may be about to perk up.

With about two weeks to go before the midterm election, chances are good that Republicans will be the new majority in the Senate. That could reset the balance on a number of tech issues that have gone nowhere in the past year, such as immigration, patent reform and NSA surveillance policy. "If the Senate flips, it creates new energy and tumult in the process," said Michael Beckerman, chief executive of The Internet Association, which counts Google, Facebook and Yahoo as members. "That could be good and bad." From a tech industry perspective, it's hard to imagine anything could be worse than the status quo.