Why Are Democrats Working For Wal-Mart?

    I'm going to spend a second day here on the Beast of Bentonville. If you want to know why the Democratic Party will continue to be the minority party in the country, look no further than the raft of Democratic operatives and elected representatives who do the bidding of Wal-Mart. At the end of this rant, I'll propose a solution to cut off money to any of these Democrats who have ties to Wal-Mart.

    Yesterday, I attended the screening of Robert Greenwald's new film, "Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price." You have to see it--or buy your own copy here. It is a great piece of investigative work which gives voice to the people and communities Wal-Mart has destroyed. And the movie makes you wonder why the Democratic Party does not take on Wal-Mart in a big way...well, we know part of the answer: money.

    Let's start by looking at what I call the Wal-Mart 22: The 22 Democrats who, on June 24th, voted against an amendment to the 2006 fiscal year Labor appropriations bill (offered by Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut) that would have barred any spending of money by the Department of Labor to implement the part of the deal the department had made with Wal-Mart calling for advance notice of inspections any time the DOL planned to investigate Wal-Mart. This is the deal that was heavily criticized by the Department's Inspector General.

    That point bears repeating--the federal government, the people who are supposed to protect citizens from corporate abuse, said to perhaps the most notorious corporate law breaker in recent years, "when we come looking for wrong-doing in your company, we're going to tell you ahead of time." I wonder if the orders for paper shredders skyrocketed in Bentonville after that little deal was made.

    Anyway, so who were the Wal-Mart 22?  Marion Berry (AR) Sanford Bishop (GA) Dan Boren (OK) G. K. Butterfield (NC) James Clyburn (SC) Bud Cramer (AL) Henry Cuellar (TX) Artur Davis (AL) Diana DeGette (CO) Harold Ford (TN) Charles Gonzalez (TX) Ron Kind (WI) Jim Matheson (UT) Dennis Moore (KS) Mike Ross (AR) John Salazar (CO) Vic Snyder (AR) John Tanner (TN) Mike Thompson (CA) Bennie Thompson (MS) Ed Towns (NY) and Al Wynn (MD).

    I'd note a few things about the Wal-Mart 22. A disturbing number of them are members of the Congressional Black Caucus (Bishop, Butterfield Clyburn, Davis, Ford, Bennie Thompson, Town and Wynn). What's up with that? Now, I know Harold Ford is running for the Senate and needs money. But, why should any labor union give him a dime if he's protecting Wal-Mart? I'll come back to that in a moment...

    And, then, there is the interesting fact that up pop the names of Ed Towns and Henry Cuellar, who are also proud members of the CAFTA 15. Is there anymore evidence needed that these two deserve to be booted from office via a challenge in the Democratic primary?

    Oh, yes, just up the street from the theater, at the swanky W Hotel, Wal-Mart scheduled a press conference last night to attack the Greenwald film. Almost no one from the press showed up. But, who was doing the press work for Wal-Mart? The Marino Organization. Among this p.r. firm's clients are the Directors Guild of America, the Construction Industry Partnership (which is heavily dependent on the building trades in New York) and the Center for American Progress. They also have Republican clients but...

    Then, to top it off, I heard from a source that Matt Miller, a staffer at the Center for American Progress, is doing consulting work for Wal-Mart. Miller considers himself a Democrat and CAP, I believe, seems to position itself as a rapid-response operation in opposition to the Republican idea- and-spin machine.

    And let's not forget, as I pointed out yesterday, that Clinton operatives are helping Wal-Mart run its "war-room."

    UPDATE: This has obviously struck a chord because I'm already getting feedback. As one wag points out, Mia Masten, Walmart's East Coast rep is a former Clinton Administration staffer (her post was Special Assistant to the Senior Advisor to the President for Policy Development). A slight correction from before--Bill Daley was not involved, but, a Chicago source says, "another brother of the mayor, Michael Daley, was hired to lobby for the zoning changes for the west and southside stores.  He has a law firm, and if his firm is hired, it is a signal that his position is the one supported by the mayor, a very powerful signal."

    UPDATE: A well-connected source writes just now: "It is my understanding that former Sen. Birch Bayh is a "door opener" for Wal-Mart by scheduling/arranging/accompanying Wal-Mart officials to  meetings on Capitol Hill." That would be sad, if true, since I still hold on to the memory of Bayh as a stalwart liberal.

    This is unconscionable, morally and politically. I think we all get the moral part--I know readers are pretty hip to the way Wal-Mart rampages through our communities (if not, go to www.walmartwatch.com and get religion). But, politically, this is dumb: if the Democratic Party can't be unified in opposition to the number one economic enemy of the people, to the number one enemy undermining any hope for a decent standard of living in the future, then, what exactly  should people think the Democratic Party stands for? Why exactly should voters believe that Democrats have any more intention to challenge corporate power? And I do believe that, given the choice between Republicans and Republican-lite (read: CAFTA 15 or the Wal-Mart 22), people will always vote for the real thing.

    So, WHAT TO DO? Here are my humble suggestions:

1. The Change To Win Coalition and the AFL-CIO should jointly send a letter to Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer (head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) and Rahm Emanuel (head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee) demanding that no work be given to any Democratic operative or consulting firm that shills for Wal-Mart. If the party refuses to at least dry up the money for Wal-Mart shills, then, the two Federations should pledge not to send a single dollar to any campaign committee.

2. Both Federations should also write to every member of Congress declaring that any Democrat receiving Wal-Mart money can kiss any labor donations or labor support good-bye.

3. Both Federation should, then, send a letter to every supposed Democratic campaign consultant and make it clear: you work for us OR you work for Wal-Mart. You can't do both.

    We all know the political world is oiled by money. So, if there's really a commitment to roll back Wal-Mart, it makes no sense to me to reward people who aid Wal-Mart. Stop the money--and their hearts will follow.

 

Comments

[Yogi]

Let's not forget that the Democratic front runner for President in 2008, Hillary Clinton, was at one time on the board of directors of Wal*Mart.

[Reece Chenault]

If CTW or the AFL did this, I'd lose my mind.

There's no way they'd do this.

No way.

Any ideas on how we could MAKE them do this?

[Wayne Donato]

No one ever said that the Republican party had the monopoly on greed. The problem with the Dems is that we will vent at sites like these and feel we have done our due diligence. We do not take any of the aforementioned officials to task with the electorate because we fear losing the seat to the Republicans. These guys aren't Dems anyway, they morph into the party that has the density to elect them, but doesn't have the juice to unseat them.

[RoscoeRich]

The reason this will never happen is the line where the Dem party ends and the labor federations begin is very blurred. There are lots of personal relationships that keep unions from calling the Dems to the carpet. It's why we must chart an independent course and take out a bunch of Dems a la Club for Growth on the right. The CtW is a bit better at the indpendent route than most of the AFL unions. Lots of AFL staffers are married to Dem operatives, so don't hold your breath because for the most part the AFL is the Dems.

[John Nunes]

Thanks for the information on the Wal-Mart 22. Your comments are right on! Its long overdue to punish those Dems that are ruining the party and flushing the middle class down the toilet - and this is their supposed base they rely on to keep them in office. These guys are depending on the middle class to be to busy in their everyday lives to give a shit.

However, we need to relentlesly keep after these Democratic frauds with the info you and others are giving out. By the way, you need to post another picture on your website captioned the Wal-Mart 22, similar to the CAFTA 15, so we keep these guys in mind until we can erraticate the vermination that seems to be spreading through the Democratic party via corporate cash.

[John A. Joslin]

Excellent idea . J.T. ! This is one of those blow-torch domestic issues that cuts thru most of the everyday political blather..... YUP ! Let's see who among the Democrats can muster the sap to support U.S. citizens ( 95% of us anyway.... ) on this one.

[John Q]

But the Democrats might get mad at us if we criticized them. Better, I think, just to pretend it's not happening.

[Tom Owens]

Speaking as a political communications consultant who has been frustrated in his attempts to break through the 'cabal' of consultants that virtually run the Democratic Party, I would suggest that we take a page out of the Grover Norquist playbook and institute something akin to the "K Street Project.." Turst me when I say this, virtually all all of the top tier Democratic campaign operatives, strategists and consultants that serve up what I believe to be the same old, tired conventional bullshit approaches to campaign strategy for the Dem Party make their "off year" dollars by whoring themselves out to the corporate world to assist them on issue advocacy and public affairs.

I have sat across the table at lunch with Steve McMahon (who is Howard Dean's top political strategist - and the brother/Partner of Dem Party Exec. Director Tom McMahon - and listened to him brag about his work with GOP consultants on issue advocacy and public affairs stuff for corporations. He funnels this shit through some entity called Issue and Image.

It's time to shine a light on these cockroaches!

[Tom Owens]

While we are focusing on who is working for the enemy, why don't we also ask this question re: Wal Mart Watch:

Why is GOP pollster Ed Goeas on the Board of Directors of Wal Mart Watch?
This is a guy whose client list reads like a "Who's Who" of anti-union crusaders:

Among many, there are these:

Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH)
Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS)
REP. TOM DeLAY!
Bush/Cheney 2004
Republican Nat'l Committee
NRSC
NRCC
Republican Governors Assoc.
Associated Builders & Contractors
Business Industry Political Action Committee
Columbia HCA

STOP THE MADNESS!!!!!!

[John Williams]

Meanwhile, a community/labor coalition defeated the siting of a Wal-Mart in Gresham Oergon today. One down, 5000 to go. But better than nothing.

[LaborVet]

Right on, Tom Owens, in your remarks about Ed Goeas. We certainly are not interested in broadening our coalition or exploiting contradictions or fissures on the other side. We want to narrow ourselves down to the pure at heart, and we want to keep losing because that just makes us more admirable.

The other side obviously knows how to divide and conquer. God forbid that we should ever dip our toe in that water.

[Doug]

They're working for Wal-Mart for the same reason Willie Sutton robbed banks--that's where the money is. Can anyone still be surprised that either Democrats or campaign consultants want to cozy up corporate miscreants like Wal-Mart? C'mon, grow up!

On the other hand, Wal-Mart is simply the prime example of corporations who've decided that breaking the law and paying criminal fines is just a cost of doing business. Name almost any medium to large corporation and it's in the business plan. It's no wonder that gangster movies are often seen as a metaphor for "business as usual." Let's develop a program that denounces "gangster capitalism" with Wal-Mart as only the top of the "most wanted" list.

[Rich Austin]

An earlier post said..."where the Dem. Party ends and the labor federations begin is very blurred". Yeh, Uh-huh. Ok.

Where I come from, the rank and file runs the union.

Don't like what what a particular labor states[person] is doing? Try the ballot box. People who get voted in can get voted out too.

Yes indeed, the Federation, Change To Win, and church and community groups should all write to Reid and Pelosi and tell 'em to get their people in line!

Change starts with us, however. If labor states[persons] are not of a mind (or ideology) to call for action when the majority of the rank a file says to do so, do it anyway. Of course, that would involve giving up a night of watching Survivors on the tube and going to a membership meeting instead.

If members of Congress are either too afraid or too bought off to represent us, just go around them too.

Social change doesn't begin in the halls of Congress. It starts in the streets.

By the way, dirt poor folks working at Walmart are just trying to make ends meet. Many don't understand what the big deal is all about. Know why? Cuz' talking heads talk to talking heads but seldom if ever adderess the problems that poor people face every day.

If labor got behind HR 676 (health care for all) we'd be enormously popular. Labor would be seen as a champion of all the people and organizing would thereafter be easier.

What are we waiting for? Let's stop blogging and start marching!

[Tom Owens]

How about the fact that the AFL-CIO itself has, in the past, contracted with the Glover Park Group (headed by Carter Eskew, Mike Feldman, Joel Johnson, Joe Lockhardt, Howard Wolfson, and Chip Smith - all former key players with the Clinton/Gore Administration or Dem. congressional leadership). Glover Park takes great pride in its corporate work on behalf of such clients as Air Bus Industries (only the biggest threat to the Machinists Union), FOX News, and the Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers Association of America (PHRMA).

[Leutisha Stills]

I invite all of you to become part of what a group of us here in DC have done to let the CBC know that they are being watched and being made to account for their votes as well as their affiliations with those who are damaging the districts they are supposed to represent.

Our group is known as the Congressional Black Caucus Monitor, and we were featured in the September 22, 2005 issue of The Black Commentator (http://www.blackcommentator.com). We published a "Report Card" on the legislative performances of the Congressional Black Caucus and distributed hundreds of copies at this years Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend.

You should have seen the fallout: since you mention Ford, you may as well know, he got the lowest score out of all 43 members of the Caucus. He is known as a "Derelict" because members who consistently voted against the best interest of the Black Body Politic, is considered "derelict in his duty" as a Representative of the U. S. House. Ford freaked out at having to actually face people and defend his egregious votes on the BK bill, Energy, Estate Tax Repeal, Real ID Voting Registration - legislation outside of the Civil Rights norm. The day Black Commentator ran the Report Card, Ford canceled all of his CBC Legislative Weekend activities and kept a very low profile for the entire weekend.

The CBC Chair, Mel Watt, called my group and I a bunch of "damned bloggers", and actually defended the votes of Ford, Wynn, Jefferson, Meeks, Bishop and David Scott. He went so far as to say we shouldn't be criticizing them for their woeful performances.

Go to our website and check out the report card (http://www.cbcmonitor.voxunion.com) and if you like what we're doing, I invite you to become part of a network of grass roots, progressive Black activists who are tired of the okey-doke and calling out Black elected officials who are feeding at the corporate trough of cash and have become so addicted to corporate cash, they are no better than an individual on crack. And if you've had any experience with a crack addict, you know they will do anything for a dollar to buy that next hit. Thanks for reading and allowing my post.

[al peppard]

It seems like all of us in labor except the heads of the Internationals are sick of this king of stuff. How do we get them to be part of the worker class?

[Ty]

I think JT's suggestions are good. What we need eventually is a huge campaign to organize Wal-Mart workers (ACORN's Wal-Mart Workers' Association is a good start), but it's never too soon to start drawing a line in the sand.

By the way, Anna Burger took a lot of flack 6 months ago for making an ultimatum similar to the ones JT suggests: when SEIU found out that a fundraiser they were co-sponsoring for the Congressional Black Caucus was also co-sponsored by Wal-Mart, Burger demanded that the CBC cut ties with the Beast. "How dare SEIU take such a my-way-or-the-highway approach!" came the cries from the poor, marginalized Members of Congress who make up the CBC.

See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/14/AR2005051400765.html

[Jambon]

Reece has a good point in asking "How could we MAKE them do this?". JT, could you suggest a good way for the readers of this blog to lobby CTW and the AFL to take action?

The only contact info I can find for CTW on their site is this email address:

[email protected]

The AFL has a contact form here:
http://www.aflcio.org/siteguides/contactus.cfm

[Jambon]

One more thing. If anyone would like to contact that SUPPOSED Democrat Leslie Dach and tell him what a sellout he is, you can do so at the email below:
[email protected]

Here is his bio on the Edelman website:
http://www.edelman.com/expertise/practices/public_affairs/

"Mr. Dach, who is active in environmental and Democratic causes..."

Way to show your true colors pal.

[Ramon]

So whats the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats they are both working under the behest of the capitalists.

[D Flinchum]

This issue is not all that difficult. For some time now the Democrats have not put together a coherent economic policy that will appeal to a broad citizenry whatever their race, ethnic group, sexual orientation, gender, age, or religious affiliation. Instead they cobble together a "coalition" of special interest groups whose stands on a number of issues - usually social issues - are actually in conflict with each other. They are led by a small group of elites who have few if any economic concerns themselves and so are perfectly comfortable selling our the average working stiff. In fact they consider that to be "realistic". After all it works for THEM.

These elite "leaders" usually only talk with the elite leadership in their special interests groups instead of the representative members, which means that they often take the most extreme stands on issues. The elite "leaders" of the special interest groups, who often have more in common with the Democratic party elites than they do with the members of their groups, also have no problem becoming clients of big business, further re-enforcing the Democrats in their sell-out mode. They can continue to get elected because our redistricting laws are manipulated to insure that most Congressional seats are not competitive.

The net result is that a lot of working stiffs stay home on election day or decide that, all things considered since they are getting the shaft economically anyway, they can vote based on gun laws, partial birth abortion, etc. If they were smart, as opposed to being educated beyond their intelligence, these "leaders" would put together a platform that would appeal broadly to working-middle class people whatever their background and give them a reason to vote Democratic again. Big business has the money, but not the votes. I have come to fear that the Democratic elites are so out of touch with the average worker and his/her problems that they probably couldn't put such a platform together even if they wanted to - and they don't.

[Brian A. Petronella]

It appears that once again our so called friends in the Democratic Party are in bed with one of the largest anti-worker corporations in the world, Wal-Mart.
For those of you who are interested, 4-years ago I decided to get involved with the Working Families Party in Connecticut. Since that time, this party has made great inroads in getting the attention of the Democratic leadership in the state of Connecticut. The Working Families Party not the Democrats have been the leading force in pushing progressive legislation directed at corporations out laws such as Wal-Mart.

[John Dicker]

I think the Wal-Mart issue is prickly for the Dems. If they focus their attacks on it it too specifically they risk alienating millions and millions of WM shoppers. It's such a broad demographic, and the Republican slime machine is so effective that, from their perspective, it's probably best to steer clear of it.

Recall the 2004 Dem primary. Everyone including Kerry even, were lining up to bash it, and rightly so. Once Kerry got the nod, I don't know that he mentioned it once.

That said, there's no reason Dems should get away with shilling for this company. There's no excuse. Evan Bayh, Harry Reid, and Hillary Clinton are all getting PAC money from Bentonville. For shame.

I was at a talk by Tom Frank (What's The Matter With Kansas) a month ago when someone in the audience asked, "How do we shame Democrats who have no shame?"

I'm wondering the same thing.

[John Dicker]

One other thing: WM's PAc is a big donor to both the Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucus. They also donate big to the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP.

Where their giving is normally widespread, wherein, no single organization gets a big chunk of change, these groups get a lot. Earl Ofari Hutchinson has written about this. It can probably be found with a google.

[D Flinchum]

"One other thing: WM's PAc is a big donor to both the Black and Hispanic Congressional Caucus. They also donate big to the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP."

This is hardly surprising when you consider that many Congressional Districts that are held by African-Americans or Hispanics are "majority minority" districts and contain a lot of inner-city areas where folks have to worry about a lot more financially than writing campaign contribution checks. It costs to run for a CD seat even if you don't have much in the way of competition, and most of these seats don't. Somebody is gonna supply that money. As I said in another post - are they really going to get HURT politically among their constituents by taking from Wal-Mart? I doubt it.......