The fat lady has sung herself hoarse, but he won't listen.

Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today blasted Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller for refusing to join many other states and the U.S. Department of Justice in settling the long-running Microsoft antitrust case.

"The economy's sinking, the technology sector is in trouble, the nation is at war, and Attorney General Miller is pusuing this unreasoning vendetta against an information economy innovator," CAGW President Tom Schatz said.  "The Microsoft litigation's settlement would benefit both consumers and taxpayers by bringing certainty to the marketplace and encouraging new investment in technology.  Most importantly, closure in this case would free up crucial legal and financial resources for the nation's war against terrorism."

"After spending more than $35 million to date at the federal and state level, citizens are right to be angry at government officials who misspend their tax dollars," Schatz also said.  "Working families have watched their portfolios nosedive since the district court's decisions last June, and know that a settlement would be good for the economy and their fiscal and physical security.  Iowa has already spent more than 3,200 hours on the case and has requested reimbursement of more than $1.1 million from the district court."

"Many the other states, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, can read the writing on the wall.  Why can't Attorney General Miller?  He had better believe he'll be hearing from CAGW members and supporters in Iowa that his failure to settle is not in the best interests of taxpayers, the economy, and the entire nation,” Schatz added.  "Miller appears more concerned about Microsoft's competitor's welfare than that of his own state's consumers and taxpayers."

"With states facing unprecedented expenditures to prevent future acts of terrorism and to protect their citizens as part of the homeland security now required in the United States, taxpayer resources must be focused on those immediate priorities," Schatz also said.

“Pursuit of this matter is especially wasteful since the same judge who would approve the settlement between DOJ and Microsoft is presiding over the state litigation.  There is little chance that she would come up with a dramatically different conclusion next year, since separate remedies would be unworkable for Microsoft and the entire technology sector.  CAGW hopes Tom Miller will come to his senses and see the abject futility of his actions, which may serve some unknown political goal, but no practical purpose,” Schatz concluded.

CAGW is the nation's largest taxpayer advocacy group with over one million members and supporters nationwide.  It is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.