Google goes to Washington

Google is pitching a tent in Washington, D.C., hiring insiders as the company's technology and public reach grows. The search behemoth recently brought in Alan Davidson, former associate director for D.C.-based advocacy group Center for Democracy & Technology. Davidson, who's expected to start soon, will handle government relations for Moutain View, Calif.-based Google from Washington, according to company spokesman Steve Langdon.

As previously noted here, Google is also in talks to hire Dan Senor, a former defense department staffer who advised the U.S. presidential envoy in Iraq. If hired in the coming weeks as expected, Senor will fill the shoes of longtime marketing chief Cindy McCaffrey, who left the company earlier this year. The Washington Business Journal reported that it's a done deal, but Langdon said the company is still in discussions with him.

Google is also hunting for sales support staff in the area. So why all the Washington hires? "What happens in Washington matters to the high-tech community, so it's important to be there," Langdon said.