You won’t find this on a Google search …but the $500-a-share internet company wants Mark Warner, Virginia’s former governor, to run for president in 2008.

Google has blown a cool $13,000 on campaign contributions this year to Warner, according to statistics obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.

That is double the amount it has donated to another highly touted Democratic presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Warner made millions from a start-up mobile phone company and later led a venture capital fund. He showed his internet smarts when he allowed himself to be interviewed in the virtual world Second Life in August.

But “blown” may be the operative word for the Google bucks - the company would have been surprised to learn last month that Warner had decided to spend more time with his family rather than run for the White House.

Google is spending less of its own time in Washington than other companies. It is one of the least active on the Hill, spending just $720,000 on lobbying firms since 1998, according to the Center.

Its new index on political spending by internet, software and electronic equipment companies suggests a general Democratic leaning among technology companies.

IBM may be known as Big Blue not just for its logo but also for its politics. It has spent $1.6m in campaign contributions since 1998 - 58 per cent going to Democrats and 39 per cent to Republicans - and paid $49m to outside lobbying firms.

It was topped by Microsoft, who voted Republican in contributing 53.7 per cent of its $15.8m to the red party. Microsoft spent $56.5m on lobbying.

Google’s campaign contributions are a pittance in comparison at $450,000, but 98.5 per cent of this went to Democrats.

The Center’s Media Tracker includes campaign contributions to all candidates for Congress and the presidency from 1998 to 2006 and money spent lobbying the federal government since 1998.

Chris Nuttall, San Francisco

November 22nd, 2006 in Internet | Permalink