Why Are Democrats Taking Money From Wal-Mart?

[babylonsister]

Why Are Democrats Taking Money From Wal-Mart?
by Jonathan Tasini

Where does a politician, or a political party, draw the line in the willingness to sacrifice principles for a few bucks? When we talk about the need to “change” the political environment and the culture of money and politics, isn’t there some place where you can say, “right here, this is the perfect example and we aren’t going to let this go on anymore”? I would argue that the place to draw the line is the relationship between the Democratic Party and Wal-Mart. And the time to draw the line is now.

I outline the facts in a moment. But, the premise for the need to draw the line now is this: There may be no corporation in American today that has been a more persistent, regular violator of the law than Wal-Mart. There may be no corporation in America that has been as virulently anti-union as Wal-Mart, firing workers repeatedly for trying to organize. There may be no corporation in America that has attacked the rights of workers and undercut the living standards of Americans more than Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart has at least 80 class-action lawsuitsin 41 states pending against it.

Wal-Mart illegally denied full rest or meal breaks in violation of state wage and hour laws–a violation that may cost the company $2 billion.

Wal-Mart abuses women, and is the defendants in the biggest sex discrimination case in history.

Wal-Mart is a habitual tax-dodger.

Wal-Mart’s heirs buy expensive paintings but won’t give their workers decent health care.

Wal-Mart sued a disabled women, demanding she give back money she won in a settlement.

Wal-Mart exploits children in Mexico.

Wal-Mart lead a global corporate lobbying campaign to block a very modest improvement in Chinese labor laws–because Wal-Mart’s business model depends on exploiting cheap labor, here and abroad.

And that’s just a sample. Why would any political leader, who represents him or herself to be a defender of the working person, want to be affiliated with such a company?

The answer is clear: money. The Democratic Party is almost even with the Republican Party in the money it receives from Wal-Mart, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The Center’s data, published in an article in today’s Wall Street Journal (I’ll come back to that article in a moment), shows that 12 years ago, Wal-Mart’s PAC gave 98 percent of its money to Republicans. In the current cycle, Democrats have received 48 percent of Wal-Mart’s PAC expenditures.

Here is the list just for the 2008 cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. In the House, the list is breath-taking in its scope:

Altmire, Jason (D-PA) $12,000
Arcuri, Michael (D-NY) $10,000
Baird, Brian (D-WA) $2,500
Barrow, John (D-GA) $10,000
Becerra, Xavier (D-CA) $6,000
Berry, Marion (D-AR) $6,000
Bishop, Sanford D Jr (D-GA)$5,000
Boren, Dan (D-OK) $7,500
Boswell, Leonard L (D-IA)$5,000
Boucher, Rick (D-VA) $6,000
Boyd, Allen (D-FL) $6,500
Butterfield, G K (D-NC) $3,500
Cardoza, Dennis (D-CA) $2,500
Chandler, Ben (D-KY) $2,500
Christian-Green, Donna (D-VI) $1,000
Clarke, Yvette D (D-NY) $1,000
Cleaver, Emanuel (D-MO) $1,000
Clyburn, James E (D-SC) $6,000
Cohen, Stephen Ira (D-TN)$2,000
Cooper, Jim (D-TN) $5,000
Cramer, Bud (D-AL) $2,500
Cuellar, Henry (D-TX) $7,000
Davis, Artur (D-AL) $7,500
Davis, Lincoln (D-TN) $5,000
Donnelly, Joe (D-IN) $5,000
Edwards, Chet (D-TX) $10,000
Ellsworth, Brad (D-IN) $12,500
Etheridge, Bob (D-NC) $2,000
Gonzalez, Charlie A (D-TX)$6,000
Gordon, Bart (D-TN) $5,000
Green, Gene (D-TX) $3,500
Hill, Baron (D-IN) $10,000
Hinojosa, Ruben (D-TX) $5,000
Holden, Tim (D-PA) $2,500
Hooley, Darlene (D-OR) $1,000
Hoyer, Steny H (D-MD) $6,000
Jackson Lee, Sheila (D-TX) $2,500
Johnson, Hank (D-GA) $1,000
Kilpatrick, Carolyn Cheeks (D-MI)$4,000
Kind, Ron (D-WI) $7,000
Klein, Ron (D-FL) $10,000
Larsen, Rick (D-WA) $2,500
Larson, John B (D-CT) $3,500
Lewis, John (D-GA) $2,500
Lofgren, Zoe (D-CA) $2,000
Maloney, Carolyn B (D-NY)$1,000
Matheson, Jim (D-UT) $5,000
McDermott, Jim (D-WA) $1,000
McIntyre, Mike (D-NC) $1,000
Meek, Kendrick B (D-FL) $7,500
Meeks, Gregory W (D-NY) $7,500
Melancon, Charles J (D-LA)$6,500
Moore, Dennis (D-KS) $3,500
Moran, Jim (D-VA) $2,500
Neal, Richard E (D-MA) $2,000
Oberstar, James L (D-MN)$1,000
Ortiz, Solomon P (D-TX) $3,000
Pastor, Ed (D-AZ) $5,000
Payne, Donald M (D-NJ) $1,000
Peterson, Collin C (D-MN)$5,500
Pomeroy, Earl (D-ND) $5,000
Rangel, Charles B (D-NY)$5,500
Reyes, Silvestre (D-TX) $5,500
Richardson, Laura (D-CA)$2,000
Rodriguez, Ciro D (D-TX)$10,000
Ross, Mike (D-AR) $5,000
Ruppersberger, Dutch (D-MD)$4,500
Salazar, John (D-CO) $7,000
Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA) $5,500
Scott, David (D-GA) $5,000
Scott, Robert C (D-VA) $2,000
Shuler, Heath (D-NC) $10,000
Sires, Albio (D-NJ) $2,000
Skelton, Ike (D-MO) $3,000
Snyder, Vic (D-AR) $2,000
Spratt, John M Jr (D-SC)$1,000
Tanner, John (D-TN) $9,000
Tauscher, Ellen (D-CA) $5,000
Taylor, Gene (D-MS) $5,000
Thompson, Bennie G (D-MS)$7,500
Thompson, Mike (D-CA) $4,500
Tiberi, Patrick J (R-OH)$2,500
Towns, Edolphus (D-NY) $3,000
Watt, Melvin L (D-NC) $3,500
Waxman, Henry A (D-CA) $2,500
Wilson, Charlie (D-OH) $5,000
Wynn, Albert R (D-MD) $5,000

In the Senate:

Baucus, Max (D-MT) $7,000
Landrieu, Mary L (D-LA) $5,000
Lincoln, Blanche (D-AR) $2,000
McCaskill, Claire (D-MO)$5,000
Pryor, Mark (D-AR) $3,000
Salazar, Ken (D-CO) $2,000

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/01/10756/