Tech political giving ticks off Silicon Valley liberals

Silicon Valley’s power players have learned that Washington can be a political asset -- and a cultural hazard.

Google, Facebook and other tech giants have been spending furiously inside the Beltway as they seek sweeping changes to the country’s patent, privacy and immigration laws. But as these companies angle to improve their political fortunes, they’ve also backed candidates and causes that are at odds with the beliefs of the larger tech community back home -- and the industry has faced plenty of criticism as a result. For well-established Washington insiders, these strange bedfellows are merely the price of doing business. But for tech companies, still learning to navigate politics, the new relationships are the subject of serious friction and scorn.