Summary: With Carl Icahn's endorsement and encouragement, Carol Bartz continues negotiations with Microsoft

THERE IS A LOT of coverage about Yahoo's CEO resuming her infamous flirt with Steve Ballmer (sample reports are appended at the bottom), but one report stood out from the rest. It was Reuters (via Forbes) about Carl Icahn's role. He is telling Yahoo to do a deal with Microsoft and he has more than a single seat in Yahoo's board.

Right from the beginning we've warned about Carol Bartz because she is a former Microsoft partner [1, 2]. It turns out that we were right, based on her words and actions since [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]; her effect on Yahoo! is similar to that of Carl Icahn, who has been in regular touch with Microsoft whilst he agitated the company and pressured it to sell out to Microsoft. For some background:

• Microsoft Fires Up Proxy War Against Yahoo as Debt Looms Over
• Microsoft Fight Against Yahoo Board Gets Uglier
• Microsoft's Proxy Fight May Have Begun Weeks Ago, Quietly
• Microsoft's Latest Ugly Tactics Against Google, Yahoo, and VMware
• As Yahoo Proxy War Looms, VMWare and Nokia Return to One's Mind
• Microsoft Executives Penetrate Corel, Yahoo; Is Novell Next?
• What if Microsoft Owned Yahoo (and the US Government Establishments' IT)?
• LawMedia Group May be Another Confirmed Microsoft AstroTurfing Agency
• Microsoft Executives Land Inside Microsoft Rivals
• Update on the Microsoft/Yahoo Situation: Google-Yahoo Alliance?
• Microsoft: 800 lb. Guerrilla
• Who's Bugging Google and Apple? (Updatedx2)
• Video: Bloomberg on Yahoo/Google/Microsoft
• Eye on Microsoft: Windows Under Attack from Critics, Cyber Criminals; Yahoo! Besieged by Microsoft
• The Microsoft-Influenced US Regulators Wrong on Yahoo!
• Microsoft Hijacked Yahoo! from the Inside (Updated)

Using insiders whom it planted deep inside Yahoo! (proxy fight), Microsoft is hoping to use the company merely as a tool for the destruction of Google. To make matters worse, the abusive monopolist is trying to make exactly the same deal which Google tried to make before Microsoft blocked it. Yahoo was definitely interested at the time (Yang was in charge).

Yahoo's new CEO Carol Bartz has resumed talks with Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer about possible deals for ads, search or more, according to sources of journalist Kara Swisher. Those close to Yahoo reportedly say that Bartz, Ballmer and other officials have been investigating deals that could not only involve web ad or search partnerships but also future, broader business relationships. One example plan would have Yahoo take over display and "premium" ads while Microsoft runs search ads.

Talk about sheer hypocrisy. "Google can't, but Microsoft can... pathetic," wrote trmanco. ⬆

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1. Microsoft and Yahoo! resume mating ritual



2. Report: Ballmer, Bartz Talking Partnerships



3. Microsoft, Yahoo talking again



4. US-BUSINESS Summary



5. IBM's offer for Sun stalls - Yahoo and Microsoft all over again?



6. Yahoo, Microsoft reportedly talk on ad partnership



7. Microsoft, Yahoo in talks over possible ad deal: WSJ



8. Microsoft, Yahoo Hold Talks About Partnership



9. Through Display Ads, Microsoft, Yahoo Seek Common Ground



10. Microsoft and Yahoo Said to Be in Talks on Ad Deal



11. Yahoo and Microsoft Said to Be Weighing Ad Pact



12. The Dance Continues: Yahoo And Microsoft CEOs Meet About Search Deal



13. Microsoft and Yahoo reportedly talking again



14. Reports: Microsoft, Yahoo chiefs meet on linkups



15. Report: Yahoo and Microsoft in ad deal talks



16. Microsoft and Yahoo Discussing Search Partnership



17. Report: Yahoo, Microsoft Again In Talks For Advertising Partnership



18. The Dance Continues: Yahoo And Microsoft CEOs Meet About Search Deal



19. What now for Microsoft, Yahoo?