Politics and high technology can make for strange bedfellows. We'll let the Intel chips fall where they may on this latest announcement. Microsoft has announced that Mark Penn will join the company as Corporate Vice President, Strategic and Special Projects, with an emphasis on key consumer initiatives for the company. Penn will lead a small interdisciplinary team and report to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. "Mark has an incredible background in research, demographics, marketing and positioning and a proven history in developing unique insights that drive success," Ballmer said. "With a strong set of products and an exciting pipeline for the next year, Mark's experience and out-of-the-box thinking will help us more effectively reach new consumers and grow market share." Penn, 58, is currently the worldwide CEO of the public relations firm Burson-Marsteller and CEO of the polling firm Penn Schoen Berland LLC.