Obama, at Wal-Mart, touts efficiency; angers labor

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP-EXCITE

By JIM KUHNHENN

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — President Barack Obama is showcasing Wal-Mart, often a target of labor groups and other Democratic constituencies, to promote advances in energy efficiency in his broader campaign to confront climate change.

Obama on Friday was to announce commitments from more than 300 companies and local and state governments to use solar energy technology. He also was announcing executive actions aimed at increasing energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. The White House says the solar effort will power the equivalent of 130,000 homes and the administrative actions could reduce carbon pollution in an amount equal to taking 80 million cars off the road for one year.

The White House chose Wal-Mart because the company has committed to doubling the number of solar energy projects at its stores, Sam's Clubs and distribution centers.

But in choosing the giant retailer as the backdrop for his announcement, Obama triggered a backlash from labor unions and pay equity advocates who say Wal-Mart pays low wages and who archly noted that Obama has made pay equity a central issue of his presidency.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://apnews.excite.com/article/20140509/obama-992bc98756.html

---

See this post in GD: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024927951



President Barack Obama greets the crowd after speaking at a Democratic National Committee reception in San Jose, Calif., Thursday, May 8, 2014. Obama is spending three days in California raising money for the Democratic party. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

[AllyCat]

1. Sigh. I do think that energy efficiency is important and if WM is going to do it

it's nice to showcase a large company. Wish they would walk and chew gum at the same time and allow their workers to organize.

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. "Archly"?

>>>Adverb

S: (adv) archly (in an arch manner; with playful slyness or roguishness)>>>>

"Obama triggered a backlash from labor unions and pay equity advocates who say Wal-Mart pays low wages and who archly noted that Obama has made pay equity a central issue of his presidency. "




Not a particularly good fit here.

[Orsino]

3. Don't forget to take the antidote.

Already posted elsewhere: http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/my-personal-walmart-nightmare-you-wont-believe-what-life

Wal-Mart closed the store, ensuring that no employees would muddy the positive message.

[heaven05]

4. In this case

he's out of touch with the social implication(s) of a visit to this capitalistic/corporate abomination that exploits it's workers. Politically expedient move to salve some political balm on the corporate wound. I DO NOT agree with this photo op. What the fuck was he and his adviser's thinking? Solar efficiency my ass. The waltons need to pay their employees a living wage.

[mountain grammy]

5. Even the super rich Waltons and all the 1% will feel the effects of climate change

they are protecting themselves and their wealth. The environment is important to the largest private employer in America. Their employees, not so much.

[MynameisBlarney]

6. That was pretty tone deaf

The only reason he should be at wally world is to slam their labor practices.

[Thespian2]

7. Surprised?

Why? A corporate-owned president visits America's largest corporation. Makes sense. I am sure the solar panels sold by WM will be the cheapest pieces of crap on the market.

[merrily]

15. And Hillary sat on WalMart's board. New Democrats, indeed. nt

[peacebird]

51. Yep. Corporatists.

[Le Taz Hot]

8. (sigh)

Jimmy Carter was the last real Democrat we had in the White House. Clinton introduced corporate toadyism into the party and it's become the new "standard." And Bill Clinton yesterday decrying the plight of the poor banksters. His wife is NO different. And I noticed he's in California again raising money but do they spend one dime here? Nope. We're the party's ATM and nothing more. I'm so sick of these people I could scream.

[abelenkpe]

31. Raising money from the entertainment industry

Same industry that offshored thousands of middle class entertainment jobs in VFX and animation. He then visited Dreamworks congratulating them on their economic prowess saying he hopes their model is duplicated across the nation oblivious to the fact dreamworks had recently laid off hundreds of workers, gave their execs raises and opened a new campus in china to reduce labor costs. US Workers are screwed if democrats are their champions.

We need to promote more sustainable energy but using Wal Mart as an example is tone deaf.

[Retrograde]

46. The Wal-Mart speech is just the cover for the fundraising dinners

Yep, we're the ATM. In addition to the Wal-Mart show there were two $30K+ dinners scheduled. The Bay Area can be trusted to send a Democratic slate to Congress so the voters here are taken for granted (my Rep rarely bothers to campaign), and national candidates only show up to ask for money.

But I'll keep voting for Dems given the alternatives.

[L0oniX]

9. Thanks for the 2014 help Obama. Anything else you want to say or do to hurt our chances?

Oh heh ...silly me ...I almost forgot:

The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3152360

...in every policy area important to the One Percent.

This list does not show the President trying to enact a more liberal agenda and being obstructed. It shows him working aggressively and proactively, over and over again, to install corporatists into his administration and to enact a corporate agenda.

Corporate and bank-cozy appointments, over and over again, including major appointments like:
A serial defender of corrupt bankers for the SEC; the architect of "Kill Lists" and supporter of torture, drone wars, and telecom immunity for the CIA; and a Monsanto VP who has lied and been involved in extremely disturbing claims regarding food safety for the FDA. An Attorney General who has not prosecuted a single large bank but wages war against medical marijuana users and *for* strip searches and warrantless surveillance of Americans. Tim Geithner. And now Penny Pritzker.
Bailouts and settlements for corrupt banks (with personal pressure from Obama to attorneys general to approve them),
Refusal by Obama's DOJ to prosecute even huge, egregious examples of bank fraud (i.e, HSBC)
signing NDAA to allow indefinite detention,
"Kill lists" and claiming of the right to assassinate even American citizens without trial
Expansion of wars into several new countries
A renewed public advocacy for the concept of preemptive war
Drone campaigns in multiple countries with whom we are not at war
Proliferation of military drones in our skies
Federal targeting of Occupy for surveillance and militarized response to peaceful protesters
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for warrantless surveillance
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for strip searches for any arrestee
Supporting and signing Internet-censoring and privacy-violating measures like ACTA
Support for corporate groping and naked scanning of Americans seeking to travel
A new, massive spy center for warrantless access to Americans' phone calls, emails, and internet use
Support of legal immunity for telecoms/warrantless wiretapping
Support of legislation to legalize massive surveillance of Americans
Militarized police departments, through federal grants
Marijuana users and medical marijuana clinics under assault,
Skyrocketing of the budget for prisons.
Failing to veto a bipartisan vote in Congress to gut more financial regulations.
Passionate speeches and press conferences promoting austerity for Americans
Bush tax cuts extended for billionaires, them much of it made permanent
Support for the payroll tax holiday, tying SS to the general fund
Support for the vicious chained CPI cut in Social Security and benefits for the disabled
Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid offered up as bargaining chips in budget negotiations, with No mention of cutting corporate welfare or the military budget
Advocacy of multiple new free trade agreements, including The Trans-Pacific, otherwise known as "NAFTA on steroids."
Support of drilling, pipelines, and selling off portions of the Gulf of Mexico
Corporate education policy including high stakes corporate testing and closures of public schools
Entrenchment of exorbitant for-profit health insurance companies into healthcare, through mandate
Legal assault on union rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers
New policies of targeting children and first responders in drone campaigns,
New policies of awarding medals for remote drone attacks,
Appointment of private prison executive to head the US Marshal's office
Massive escalation of federal contracts for private prisons under US Marshall's Office


Chilling Legal Memo From Obama DOJ Justifies Assassination of US Citizens
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654954

Study: "Trade" Deal Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023661805

Obama Appoints Bain Capital Consultant Jeff Ziets to Top Post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662209

Obama selects former Monsanto lobbyist to be his TPP chief agriculture negotiator
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662210

White House: No Subsidies for Union Health Plans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014594512

Wall Street Deregulation Garners Bipartisan Support Despite Devastating JPMorgan Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/wall-street-deregulation-_n_2910168.html

The USDA’s Reckless Plan to Decrease Food Safety
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023670859

This is a complete list of Wall Street CEOs prosecuted for their role in the financial crisis
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3653154

Wall Street will get away with massive wave of criminality of 2008 - Statute of Limitations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022516719Obama seeks longer PATRIOT Act extension than Republicans (December 2013)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x380450

When it comes to civil liberties, apparently Democrats are just as bad as Republicans.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022101960

NSA's Massive New Spy Center to Track Your Emails, Internet Activity, and Phone Calls
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101620852

Obama Quietly Signs Abusive Spy Bill He Once Vowed to Eliminate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022104861

Obama repeals Magna Carta, asserting powers our forefathers denied to Kings
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101655620

Obama's Memo on Killing Americans Twists 'Imminent Threat' Like Bush
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654919

Obama no better than Bush when it comes to security vs. civil liberties.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022355307

Obama Admin Seeks Permission TO LIE In Response To FOI Requests - Even To The COURTS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2185303

NDAA on trial: Obama Administration fights ban on indefinite detention of Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101748688

Obama administration complicit with private prison industry: President Obama's IncarcerNation
http://www.nationofchange.org/president-obama-s-incarcernation-1335274655

Obama, Democrats Push to Make Bush Spying Laws Permanent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022084702

NDAA, signed by Obama, is a direct attack against legitimate protest and dissent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022064803

NSA Whistleblower: All Americans under constant surveillance, all info. stored, no matter the post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002193487; http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021935289

Bipartisan Congress Disgracefully Approves the FISA Warrantless Spying Bill for Five More Years
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022087323

While Public & Media Focused on 2nd Amendment, 5th Amendment Quietly Dismantled
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022390581

How the Obama administration justifies extrajudicial killing of Americans,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022318187

Judge Says Under Law Executive Branch Can Commit Acts That Sure Do Seem Unconstitutional
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022122464

Obama Justice Dept. says wiretap lawsuit should not proceed
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014337039

NDAA Lawsuit- Hedges v. Obama, The Last Thin Line of Defense
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022357078

Federal authorities step up efforts to license surveillance drones for law enforcement
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022383596

Big Banks and FBI worked together vs Occupy
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095056]

FBI Investigated 'Occupy' As Possible 'Domestic Terrorism' Threat, Internal Documents Show
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022061578

FBI Documents Reveal Secret Nationwide Occupy Monitoring (Updated the OP)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022057064

Public Buses Across Country Quietly Adding Microphones to Record Passenger Conversations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021965291

Street artist behind satirical NYPD 'Drone' posters arrested
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021920967

The Obama DOJ urged the Supreme Court's endorsement of strip searches.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002521527

Obama Administration Fights to Allow Warrantless GPS Tracking
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1074474

Anonymous to FBI: hey, dudes, maybe you could take a break from...investigating activists....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022145621

Half a billion dollars for drones to spy on Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021876414

From Bradley Manning to Aaron Swartz -- The Government's Inhumane Persecution of Brave Truth Tellers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276941

The sight of Army helicopters and the sound of gunfire...on Houston's south side
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276742

Kiriakou and Stuxnet: the danger of the still-escalating Obama whistleblower war
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275570

Can the DEA Hide a Surveillance Camera on Your Property?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022237059

Social Media and the Stasi
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021888029

Homeland Security Wants to More Than Double Its Predator Drone Fleet Inside the US, Despite Safety/Privacy Invasions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014312823

CIA Behind Bizarre Censorship Incident At Alleged 9/11 Plotters’ Gitmo Trial
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022280285

“I Am Wearing My Conviction As A Badge Of Honor.”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275128

Meet the Contractors Turning America's Police Into a Paramilitary Force
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12525281

How Secrecy Corrodes Democracy
http://election.democraticunderground.com/101655009

Obama Quietly Issues Ruling Saying It's Legal For The FBI To Break The Law
http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7545687

US Pulls Plug on Iran Cable News (Press TV)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014394770

DHS Watchdog OKs 'Suspicionless' Seizure of Electronic Devices Along Border
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022339091

The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632

Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095402

Why is Social Security Under Attack from Obama, when it ADDS NOTHING to the deficit???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022065493

The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632

Guess what? Chained CPI is the bright idea of Third Way, the (Corporate) Dem "policy shop."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022021626

...Obama explicitly campaigned on opposing Social Security cuts -- and he just endorsed them (AGAIN)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022019860

Obama's Promises on Social Security: His OWN WORDS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022031544

Bernie Sanders: Chained CPI: An Economic and Moral Disaster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022381690

wall street pulls the strings: social security under attack in february
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022155427

Obama signs bill cutting 2.2 billion from food stamps
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x309

Obama's New Treasury Secretary Pushes Austerity That Spreads Global Misery
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022652850

Obama appointed Alan Simpson & Erskine Bowles to his goddamned catfood commission...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022633714

Why does President Obama keep Appointing Monsanto Shills to Key Gov. Positions?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022592785

Penny Pritzker..The Subprime Queen...Obama's Pick for Dept. of Commerce
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101665148

Obama's Betrayal of Public Education, Arne Duncan and the Corporate Model of Schooling
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410

How can we NOT feel betrayed? These are just ONE day's headlines:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410

Obama Approves New Cross-Border Pipeline Benefiting Canadian Oil Sand Producers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112758698

Pres. Obama: Why are you pushing the Koch Supported Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023563816

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Global Attack by the One Percent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101634573

TPP: A pact designed to increase the wealth and power of crony capitalists
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023936342

The Obama administration's legal battle against whistleblowers, federal unions.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022672473

Obama’s Escalating War on Freedom of the Press
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023312251

Why Is President Obama Keeping a Journalist in Prison in Yemen?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023300531

Former Top NSA Official: “We Are Now In A Police State”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024197266

Obama administration asserts that NSA spying cannot be challenged in court
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023296209

The Obama administration is aggressively growing private prisons
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2670142

When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432

The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC -- article from '06
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414

You do know how the DLC/Third Way was formed? (corporate money, corporate infiltration)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024150961

Third Way VP indicates they fear Elizabeth Warren's influence on the party.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024168867

Majority of Third Way support from Wall Street
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024164622

The Democratic Party's deceitful game
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3928692

[merrily]

17. Just because you didn't get

a pony

every single thing you wanted

your one issue voter issue

Liberals can't get elected. So, there.

[L0oniX]

20. but...

[adirondacker]

33. Available only at Walmart!

[deurbano]

38. That made me "lol"!

[L0oniX]

49. +1

[firesalesman]

39. +1. nt

[Enthusiast]

47. +1 a whole fucking bunch.

[Ikonoklast]

10. President Obama Lauds Wal-Mart For Lessening CO2 Impact On Environment.

DU Shits On Both.

[truebrit71]

12. Did you miss the part that said 'Wal-Mart'...??

I don't care if they shit out great big clouds of pure oxygen, they are STILL fucking Wal-Mart....

[Dawgs]

13. Sigh...

Walmart asks its workers to donate Thanksgiving food ... to Walmart workers

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/18/1256461/-Ohio-Walmart-asks-its-workers-to-donate-Thanksgiving-food-for-their-coworkers

[enlightenment]

14. There are plenty of corporations out there

that are doing things to improve energy efficiency. Why choose Walmart?

Let's say you love puppies. Down the road from your house is a powerful sociopath who likes to eat babies - but he LOVES puppies. He gives a shed-load of money to the ASPCA, specifically for the care of puppies - and another large chunk to the DNC, even though he is more than willing to eat democrats' babies, too.

The President decides to give a speech on the sociopath's front porch, lauding his donation to the ASPCA.

Do you think DU should think that's okay?

[Ikonoklast]

44. The world is not binary.

[chervilant]

24. Please stop

denigrating those of us who take issue with the corporate megalomaniacs who've usurped our media, our politics AND our global economy. And, Mr. Obama is not above criticism just because he is a "Democrat."

[IronLionZion]

11. Punish him by electing more liberal Democrats at every level

GOTV!

Solar panels are great, but more Dems in legislative bodies means more minimum wage raises in more states, and finally the national raise.

[merrily]

16. Do you have a list of liberal Democrats who are running?

Because neither the DSCC nor the DCCC seem to have been recruiting liberals since at least the early 2000s.

Also, please remind me what Dems in Congress did about the minimum wage January, 2007 through January 2011.

[IronLionZion]

18. primaries are first

state legislatures exist, and many states have been raising the minimum wage. My state of MD has.

[merrily]

19. Not really. Recruiting candidates to run is first.

[IronLionZion]

21. Then start recruiting. nt

[merrily]

22. First, it's way too late for 2014. Second, I don't know anyone who has and/or can raise millions.

[IronLionZion]

25. Check out PDA

http://www.pdamerica.org/campaigns/endorsed-candidates

and get involved in your local chapter

[merrily]

28. I am involved in other organizations.

"Progressive" is a funny term.

Hillary and Obama both claim to be progressives; neither claims to be a liberal.

I'm definitely a liberal.

[raindaddy]

23. What's wrong with showcasing Costco?

"At Costco, we know that paying employees good wages makes good sense for business," "We pay a starting hourly wage of $11.50 in all states where we do business, and we are still able to keep our overhead costs low."

-Costco CEO and President Craig Jelinek

I'm sure they would've jumped at the chance to have the President showcase one of their stores. Would've been a perfect chance to reward a corporation with a Democrat at the helm who really cares about his employees.
And while he's at it he should have Jimmy Carter the last President who installed solar panels on the White House roof standing by his side! If we would've followed HIS advice instead of Reagan's we wouldn't even have to tout energy efficiency..

This "reaching out" to the very sources that represent the idea that commerce trumps the welfare of people and the planet we live on is so past stale it's beginning to reek. Here's a golden opportunity to distinguish the party of labor and sound environmental practices from the party of greed and deregulation before the upcoming election. No wonder people no longer understand what the Democratic party stands for. It's been undermined by the continious turning away from traditional Democratic party ideals under the guise of reaching across the aisle.

Ask yourself this question, as a Democrat are you in the mood to showcase a corporation that exemplifies everything that's currently wrong with America? If the answer is no then it's time to seriously rethink the direction of the so-called party of the people.

[catrose]

26. ^this a squillion times^ eom

[tclambert]

34. To my surprise, Wiktionary does have an entry for squillion.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/squillion

However, that does not mean I would let you use it in a game of Scrabble.

[catrose]

37. Color me surprised too

I thought it was like a bunchofa brazilans (as in the prefixes bunchofa, heckofa, hellofa, omf-inggod).

I promise not to use it in Scrabble.

[JDPriestly]

43. Walmart is backing Hillary. Maybe Obama is too. That's a shame.

[RufusTFirefly]

27. Great place to buy inexpensive "comfortable shoes," I hear. n/t

[merrily]

30. With an armored limo, who needs comfortable shoes?

[SamKnause]

29. The Puppet speaks

[geardaddy]

32. W in T F?

Can't he just stop doing this kind of shit?

[myrna minx]

48. LOL - you said exactly what I thought.

[kath]

35. What an utterly assholish move on the part of this president.

"Democrat", my ass.

[frylock]

36. it's just a two-minute prayer!

[Sunlei]

40. WalMart does pay low wages, but not as low as a lot of other businesses in the USA.

[djean111]

52. They also drive local businesses out. The low wages are just a part of it.

Scheduling part-timers so they cannot get second jobs, locking people in at night, requiring unpaid off the clock work - and, really, there is no excuse for any of the extreme low wage businesses, but Walmart does not get a pass because there are others like it.

I have to laugh at the "lower than Publix" thing. That's some cherry-picking going on.
There is a Publix in the same shopping center as a Walmart, where I shop. The Walmart prices have been creeping up to convenience-store levels, for some things.

[Sunlei]

53. yes, local small businesses in Tx went away when walmart & big box stores took over.

TYVM, Pres. @BarackObama for shining light on Walmart, so #Unions could bring out their fairness-in-the-workplace concerns!

[nolabels]

41. I haven't stepped foot in or bought a thing from Wal-Mart in a decade

But there is a time after ten years you might want to change your tactics. That being said, I do believe that am winning my own personal battle here. That happens with Wal-Mart is acknowledging of a needing to go green. Personally i think they are thirty years behind the times but what would one expect a company that would even nickle and dime even their own mom to death. It also doesn't mean i will be shopping there anytime soon, but does feel good to know that ones personal views were correct all along.

The horse is out of the barn but at least know where not to go for padlock to fix the problem

[JDPriestly]

42. Walmart is a Hillary supporter. Says a lot about Hillary.

[ucrdem]

50. Also about Obama as he's giving her a hand here.

He's not politically tone deaf and can't be unaware of WalMart's rep.

[1000words]

45. To be expected, at this point.

What's one more WTF moment from this administration?