Wal-Mart a political target ahead of election

[Omaha Steve]

Full story; http://reuters.excite.com/article/20060817/2006-08-17T191920Z_01_N17259366_RTRIDST_0_POLITICS-WALMART-DC.html

Wal-Mart a political target ahead of election
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Aug 17, 3:19 PM (ET)

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Giant retailer Wal-Mart has become a political target ahead of November's congressional election, taking fire from Democrats and labor unions for its record on health care, jobs and wages.

A cross-country bus trip drawing support from scores of big-name Democrats is the latest chapter in the year-old "Wake Up Wal-Mart" campaign, which organizers hope will put the labor and business practices of the country's biggest private-sector employer front and center in the 2008 White House race.

"Our goal from the start has been to build public and private pressure on this company and make Wal-Mart a national issue in the 2008 campaign," said WakeUp Wal-Mart spokesman Chris Kofinis.

Critics paint Wal-Mart as a national symbol of corporate irresponsibility, claiming it provides inadequate wages and health care coverage for its 1.3 million employees while shipping new jobs overseas.

[WCGreen]

1. There profits were down 24% in the last quarter....

Some of it because they dropped out of the German Retail market...

But a lot has to do with people paying 30-50% more for gas than they did in the last quarter and buddy, that increase is having an effect on Walmart...

[bainz]

2. They might want to

They might want to put Al "Have you ever know Wal-Mart not to follow through on a big commitment of this kind? I have not” Gore back in his cage before going forward.