A delegation from the TechNet lobby, including John Doerr (Rice '73) and Cisco chief John Chambers, were on Capitol Hill today warning legislators that the U.S. is in danger of losing its technology lead.

By some measures, it has already happened.

TechNet wants more spending on math and science education, especially in middle schools, and more tech-oriented retraining for displaced workers.

Amen to that. Both my kids felt math was fun in 4th grade, but neither is pursuing it anymore. My son's school refused to challenge him in 7th grade, resorting to a curriculum he'd already learned, and he lost interest. My daughter was bedeviled by reading difficulties and her strength in math was ignored.

Then Doerr went off and spoiled it all by saying something stupid.

"When it comes to the future of innovation, the most important thing we can get right is to protect broad-based employee ownership in the form of stock options," Doerr said, demanding that stock options not be expensed.

Please. The idea that innovation depends on accounting games, and in hosing public stockholders in favor of insiders (at any level) is simply ludicrous.

Here Doerr has a chance to be a statesman, and he goes off on a greedhead trip. Sorry, I'm Rice '77 so I take it personally.

Doerr's special pleading on behalf of hosing investors destroyed the impact of what should have been powerful testimony. Maybe it's because both Doerr and Chambers were big investors in the present Administration, at both its elections.

But if these two men are looking for who to blame for America's tech troubles, I have some simple advice.

Look in the mirror, gentlemen.