Ex-Sen. Edwards stumps against Wal-Mart pay, benefits

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06216/711198-100.stm

Former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards gave a stump speech in the Hill District today in his latest campaign: he's running against Wal-Mart.

Mr. Edwards, who dumped his Wal-Mart stock during his 2004 bid for the party's presidential nomination, says the retail giant underpays its workers and cheats taxpayers when those same employees rely on public funds for medical care.

"It's not bad enough that people make seven or eight or nine or 10 dollars an hour, but when you make seven or eight dollars an hour and you don't have health care coverage, what are you going to do when your 5-year-old gets sick?" Mr. Edwards told a crowd of 400 people at the Hill House. "You'll go to the hospital emergency room and beg for health care -- that's what you're going to do. Or, you're going to depend on the taxpayers for your health care."

<snip>

As Mr. Edwards began his leg of the tour, Hank Mullany, senior vice president for the chain's Northeast division, issued a letter asking the former senator to meet with Wal-Mart officials and employees "without the fanfare of media or staff or supporters."

<snip>

(Edwards) "I'm happy to meet with anybody," he said, adding that "it's obvious to me what's going on . . . Wal-Mart makes plenty of money. They need to pay their people well."

[Ezlivin]

1. He can now forget about China contributing to his campaign

We'll end up with a cheaper, smaller President instead.

[Grateful for Hope]

2. I heard this on my local radio station coming home from work

I was very glad to hear that Edwards is taking a firm stand on this.

Walmart is countering with what they think is a smear that Edwards is a spokesman for "certain labor forces". I don't have a link as this was on the radio.

Walmart also maintains that they offer competitive health care coverage. I hope that this is pursued, because Walmart should be forced to reveal what it is exactly that they offer their non-management employees.

[1932]

8. "Certain labor forces"? Sounds so nefarious. But I'm for them too!

Every patriotic American with the right set of values should be too.

[LincolnMcGrath]

3. Good for him. Good for working Americans! Screw any dlcentrist-

zellocrat who thinks otherwise!

[Fridays Child]

4. I love his dedication to the working poor.

His genuine compassion moves me.

[blm]

7. I agree, it's the best part of him - that and Elizabeth, imo.

.

[Omaha Steve]

5. My first choice is Gore.

I believe Edwards will get the nomination. Kerry lost to many people on his band wagon when he didn't fight for Florida or Ohio stolen votes. I believe Alaska and New Mexico were hijacked too.

[blm]

6. What percentage of voters know the election was stolen and that the

machines get rigged?

And what lawmakers and potential candidates are working to expose the machines and other forms of election fraud?

[Hippo_Tron]

9. I wish Edwards had run for re-election to the senate

He'd be in a better position for the White House as a Senator than as Kerry's losing running mate. He's clearly learned that a strong focus on economic issues will play well in red states.

[1932]

10. I'm not sure the Senate has been a great forum for Democrats laying out a

vision about what they believe in and about what America should be since 2004. Being out of the senate is unfortunate for Edwards, but he has made a great effort to align himself with a set of principles and a vision that gives people a great sense of what he believes in, and he's done this in a way that he might not have been able to do if his time were occupied by being in the senate.

[PurityOfEssence]

11. Go Johnny, go!

Look no farther for conservative media bias than the consensus that Edwards was to the right of the pack in the last primary race; he's always been more in tune with the heart and soul of the Democratic Party than most of the others. It's about money. It's about class warfare. The line in his stump speech that made me such an ardent supporter--back in 2001, mind you--was: "the only thing George Bush respects is wealth."

The right has successfully spooked the left on its most important issues: name identification and policy. By demonizing the word "liberal" and terrifying people from raising the issue of economic unfairness, the left has been essentially neutered. Here's a guy who's going right into the vortex of the dominance struggle for this country's future, and I, not a progressive but a LIBERAL, am happy he is.

[sandnsea]

12. "Depend on taxpayers for health care"

FINALLY. That is exactly how the issue of higher wages should be framed. It is NOT a free market when labor costs are subsidized by taxpayers through health care, housing, food stamps, energy assistance, etc. Corporations should pay their own labor costs which should be enough to provide for the basic needs of their workers.