Tech Titans' Ties to Washington Grow Closer -- and More Complicated

A look at the latest moves in an image war among tech's biggest companies, with Google at the center. At stake are policy decisions that could affect many billions of dollars. Microsoft learned through its own costly antitrust battle in the late 1990s about the importance of perception. The company, accused of bundling its Web browser with its Windows operating system -- the dominant software for personal computers -- suffered for years from the image of being a monopolist. "Part of the anxiety about Google stems from how broad Google's reach has become," said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst at Stifel Nicolaus. "Everything they do will be scrutinized, and they will be as careful as a teenager on probation not to do anything foolish."