Wal-Mart

yet another reason to avoid Wal-Mart

I don't shop at Wal-Mart for a number of reasons, and according to the the WSJ, here is one more reason why:

"Unlike most corporations, which contribute to both parties in rough proportion to Congress's partisan split, about 85% of Wal-Mart's checks go to Republicans. And recently Mr. Allen was named a "Pioneer" by the Bush campaign, meaning he has raised at least $100,000 by getting friends and colleagues to make contributions of up to $2,000 each.


The partisan giving is a nod to Wal-Mart's hostile relationship with organized labor and its dependence on free-trade agreements. Wal-Mart defends its lopsided support, saying it's supporting pro-business candidates. But sometimes it can get personal. Several Democratic presidential candidates -- including presumed nominee Sen. John Kerry -- have criticized Wal-Mart's labor practices. At the company's managers meeting in Kansas City in January, Wal-Mart executives showed footage of former Democratic presidential candidates Howard Dean and Richard Gephardt criticizing the company's health benefits. Managers booed and hissed."