When Microsoft's top Windows OS man Jim Allchin recently said that Linux and open-source software not only stifle innovation but are un-American, advocates of non-proprietary software reacted. Matthew Szulik, the CEO of Linux company Red Hat, said that he'd willingly violate his own rules about staying out of politics to take on Microsoft executives in congressional hearings.

Szulik told Wired that, "Red Hat, as a representative of the open-source community, would love to have an opportunity to provide a counter-argument to (Microsoft's) claims to the U.S. Senate. We'd love to bring the brightest minds in the open-source community - both within and outside of Red Hat - to the U.S. Senate."

He also finds an upside to the comment, which he terms ludicrous and troubling. "It's nice to know that Linux and open source have grown so much, and moved so firmly into the mainstream of computing that mighty Microsoft is scared."

The source article is at wired.com.